Summary

• Five Nights at Freddy's movie earns a PG-13 rating due to strong violent content, bloody images, and language, in line with typical hallmarks of a PG-13 film.
• The PG-13 rating aligns with the film's release strategy, targeting the franchise's younger fan base and opening up streaming opportunities for families with older kids.
• Despite its rating, the movie promises to deliver jump scares, atmospheric chills, and shocking gore, staying true to the source material and making it best-suited for older, mature viewers.

Light spoilers for the general themes and basic lore of the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise.

Mild discussion of the movie and video games' violence, violent imagery, and child abduction plot point.

Soon-to-be viewers are wondering why Five Nights at Freddy’s earned a PG-13 rating, especially when the video game source material contains content that could be grounds for an R-rated film. Based on the 2014 indie game of the same name, Five Nights at Freddy’s takes inspiration from the franchise’s nine video game installments, all of which are set in a fictional pizza chain, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. The restaurant’s titular character is an animatronic bear — not unlike Chuck E. Cheese, but with more bloodlust and a terrifying backstory. Players assume control of a security guard tasked with monitoring the nightmare restaurant for several (long) days.

In the Five Nights at Freddy’s film, Josh Hutcherson of Hunger Games fame plays the troubled security guard, Mike. Much like in the game, Mike monitors the cameras, lights, doors, and vents of the pizza chain, but, soon enough, he learns it’s not about keeping an eye on intruders. At night, the animatronic characters, including Freddy, become hostile threats. With over 33 million video game units sold, as well as several comic book and novel tie-ins to its name, the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise film has been a long time coming. And, given its PG-13 rating, it’s already surprising long-time fans.

Five Nights At Freddy's PG-13 Rating Explained: Violence, Blood, & Language

A t effort between horror pros Universal and Blumhouse, Five Nights at Freddy’s earned a PG-13 rating. According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the movie contains “strong violent content, bloody images, and language," all of which are typical hallmarks of a PG-13-rated film. While some voiced shock and disappointment over the movie’s PG-13 rating, it makes sense on several levels for Five Nights at Freddy’s to have avoided an R rating. For starters, much of the franchise’s fan base skews younger — namely teens — so it was smart to not alienate those viewers.

Of course, the PG-13 rating also plays into the film’s release strategy. With an October 27 release date, Five Nights at Freddy’s will hit theaters and streaming simultaneously. That said, viewers who subscribe to Peacock can enjoy the same-day streaming option, which will eat into the movie’s box office draw. Still, the ability for a film to gain traction on a streaming platform shouldn’t be underestimated, as at-home views bolster a project’s overall success. That said, a PG-13 rating opens Five Nights at Freddy’s to more streaming opportunities, especially when families with older kids look for something to watch over the movie’s opening weekend.

How Scary Five Nights At Freddy's Is

Despite its PG-13 rating, Five Nights at Freddy’s promises all the jump scares, atmospheric chills, and shocking gore of the video game series. The best PG-13 horror movies, like A Quiet Place, The Ring, and Insidious, prove that flicks don’t need an R-rating to deliver memorable thrills and chills. With Five Nights at Freddy’s creator Scott Cawthon working on the film, it’s safe to say that the movie will follow the source material pretty closely. Hutcherson’s Mike and his younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), will likely have to evade the murderous animatronics, lest they be stuffed inside spare animatronic exoskeletons.

Five Nights At Freddy's Is Not Suitable For Children

No, Five Nights at Freddy’s is not suitable for young children. From the MPAA’s viewpoint, that means any kids under 13 years old should not see the film due to its violence, imagery, and language. Of course, as with any PG-13-rated film, younger viewers can attend theatrical screenings with an adult accompanying them. Since the film is also streaming on Peacock, adults with younger children may want to preview the movie to determine if it’s too intense for said underage viewers.

While Five Nights at Freddy's won't feature Saw X-level blood and gore, early buzz surrounding the film reveals that it sticks close to the source material's narrative (via The Direct). In addition to violent stabbing sequences, the movie reportedly features a gorey decapitation, which is more than enough to cement it as a film that's not for children. Moreover, anyone familiar with the franchise's lore will know that the story revolves around the abduction of kids, a disturbing theme that will likely unnerve younger viewers. With the movie adaptation seemingly boasting the same scares of the video games, Five Nights at Freddy’s is best-suited for older, mature viewers.

Sources: MPAA, The Direct