The Five Night’s at Freddy’s (2023) (Blumhouse) movie has been released and with it a new story in the FNAF universe has been added. The movie, taking place in its own universe, follows the story of Mike Schmidt as he just tries to work as a night security guard at a local abandoned pizzeria.
The movie is not canonical to the games and resides within its own canonical universe. Easter eggs, focused around the security cameras in the game, have tie-ins relating to the games, but the story doesn’t mirror the games. The story of the FNAF movie focuses on survival horror of Mike, Abby and Vanessa in the pizzeria, surviving the ghosts within the animatronics both mentally and physically. We’ve got full spoilers on the entire story along with the ending below.
If you’re looking for game lore, check out our Ruin’s Ending Explained.
Our summary is condensed to the key points of the movie. There’s a lot there but we’ve got the lore.
Story Summary
The movie opens with the animatronics taking out a security guard.
Mike has been fired from his job and needs one to take care of his little sister Abby. Their Aunt Jane is trying to take custody of Abby. Mike visits Steve Raglan, a job consultant, who says the only job available is at the ‘ol Freddy’s location. Mike agrees, starts the first night, has a dream involving five children.
Second night, Vanessa shows up. She starts telling Mike about the five children who disappeared from an unresolved ’80s case, which aligns with the dreams Mike has. This is also when Mike learns the children in the dream can hurt him in the dream and in real life.
Aunt Jane enlists Max (babysister) and Max’s brother to trash the pizzeria to force Mike to lose his job. Carl and Uncle Hank join the group and they’re taken out by the animatronics.
The third night Mike brings Abby along. They both have dreams. The animatronics are powered by the five children and Abby is connected to them. It’s revealed that Abby’s imaginary friends and drawings have been the children and that ultimately, the children want Abby.
So Abby dreams of the children and Mike dreams of an offer: Abby for information on his brother, Garrett. This results in Mike taking Abby to her aunts while Mike goes to fight the animatronics.
At this point, Vanessa becomes more prominent in the story again, revealing that William Afton shoved the five victims into the animatronics. William Afton, also just happens to be, her dad. He is also Steve Raglan.
Ending Explained
A older version of Freddy goes and kills Aunt Jane, then abducts Abby and takes her back to the pizzeria. The animatronics go to attack her, but Mike shows up in time with a taser to hold them off until Afton, in a yellow rabbit costume, shows up along with Vanessa. Afton reveals that he was responsible for Mike’s brother, Garrett.
Afton is defeated when Abby uses a drawing to communicate with the children, telling them the yellow rabbit was responsible for what happened to them. They turn on Afton, ending him once and for all.
The movie concludes with Abby settling into school. Afton is left in the pizzeria somehow still slowly dying, while the spirit of Freddy watches on. This fans have concluded is a teaser for a sequel involving Springtrap or some other version of Afton.
The ending is essentially the ghost children finally seeking revenge by turning on Afton while Mike, Abby and Vanessa (who is William Afton’s daughter) escape and everyone is happy ever after except everyone else who doesn’t survive (in stereotypical horror movie fashion).
There’s no impact on the game lore, because again, they are in different canonical universes.
FNAF Dream Theory?
The dream theory suggests only the mini-games are real and the rest of the games are a dream. The dream theory connection here is with the ghost children’s dream and the dream theory book shown in the game. It’s an easter egg, but the movie really vibes with the theory that most of the world is a dream as a real possability.
Silver Eye’s trilogy is the basis of this FNAF movie. Remembering who Afton was and having the animatronics turn on him is based on the Silver Eye’s trilogy story.
Main Characters
- Mike: Security guard. Has a little sister he has custody over named Abby and a brother named Garrett.
- Garrett: Mike’s brother. Killed by Afton.
- Vanessa: William Afton’s daughter and local police officer.
- William Afton / Steve Raglan: Franchise’s main villain and architect of the horror in the movie.
- Abby: Mike’s little sister.
- Aunt Jane: Wants custody of Abby, eventually gets it, perishes to Freddy.
- Animatronics: Inhibited by spirits of children killed by William Afton. Made by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.
FAQ
- Is the movie related to Security Breach? There’s some throwback arcade machines, but otherwise no. Glitchtrap and the Mimic aren’t involved in the FNAF movie.
- Who are the animatronics? They’re Foxy, Bonny, Chica and Freddy, along with a broken down version of Freddy. There are five “ghost kids” in total.
- Who are the ghost kids? Victims of William Afton.
- Who is Vanessa? She’s not the security breach Vanessa, she’s an entirely different one. This one is a local town cop who knows a bit too much about the pizzeria and is also William Afton’s daughter. The game, when the movie was released, has yet to say that Vanessa has any relation to Afton.
- Post Credit’s Scene? It reveals Balloon Boy in the back of the taxi that dropped Freddy / Abby off.
