Since its explosive debut in 2014, Five Nights at Freddy's swiftly captured everyone's attention, birthing a franchise that spawned multiple sequels, spinoffs, anthologies, and even a trilogy of novels. Now, after years of development, the chilling franchise is set to expand its horizons with an eagerly awaited movie adaptation.
However, for fans anticipating a spine-chilling R-rated experience akin to the game series, there's a twist: the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy's movie will bear a PG-13 rating. Emma Tammi, the film's director, explained that the decision to dial down the gore was made to broaden the film's appeal to a younger audience.
Film ratings help parents determine whether a movie is suitable for their children or not. In the United States, the MPA determines film ratings and considers different elements when making its decisions, including the level of violence, sexual content, and language. Ratings range from GA – General Audience, denoting that a movie is suitable for all age groups, to NC-17, indicating movies unsuitable for anyone under the age of 17.
Five Nights at Freddy's PG-13 rating means it might contain content unsuitable for children under the age of 13, and parents should exercise caution. However, given its premise, the film would have done better with an R rating, as that would have allowed for more expression. It would have also allowed the movie to maintain the essence of the games.