Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) is an American supernatural horror film based on the video game of the same name. Our subject, being in her early forties, has three boys and is somewhat familiar with the game. She knows it relies on jump-scares to freak-out the kids. Typically, jump-scares are quick to elevate the heart rate but dissipate even faster having no tension to sustain elevated numbers. Read our results to find out if the animatronic horrors could produce scares similar to the game.

SYNOPSIS:

A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. During his first night on the job, he realizes that the night shift won’t be so easy to get through. Pretty soon he will unveil what actually happened at Freddy’s.

Where to Watch: Peacock

Test Subject: Leah

Age: 42

Gender: Female

Fears: Pupaphobia or Fear of puppets

Resting HR: 60-65bpm

Walking HR: 80-85bpm

ANALYSIS:

Unfortunately, our subject caught wind of the PG-13 rating which settled her nerves going into the film. But an intense opening led her to believe she was in for a more violent film than previously expected. The impressive 74bpm spike didn’t last long however, as the film delved into a dark psychological drama. The stress produced early on came from creepy kids in a forest rather than the animatronics she anxiously awaited. Even our main peak heart rate, a less than exhilarating 78bpm, lacked any sort of jump scare from the main attraction in Freddy Fazbears Pizzeria. Once the metal mayhem did arrive, the film shied away from what could have been gruesome scenes resorting to cutaways in an attempt to keep it family friendly. The dark backstory continued and at the 1:00 mark came a twist that took the fear out of Freddy for the next twenty minutes. Although our subject was entertained by the story and effects, the mild finale failed to get her heart racing.

CONCLUSION:

Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) is a psychological adult drama disguised as a kid's movie and fails to produce terrifyingly high heart rate levels. Share on X The film established an intriguing and deep mystery but came up shallow on scares. Let it be noted that our subject enjoyed the movie but was not affected by its attempts to establish fear. Luckily, if we’re looking to be scared by a Freddy, there’s a whole different franchise with true nightmares we can resort to.

Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023): Burns an average of 154 Calories

Cupcake: 131 Calories

How many Fear Calories did you burn watching Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) ?  Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook