10 Things Only REAL Fans Noticed In The FNAF Movie

10 Things Only REAL Fans Noticed In the FNAF Movie

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at small details, Easter eggs, and characters that only true fans of the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” games will pick up on in this 2023 film. Some major spoilers if you haven’t seen the movie yet.

6:00 AM

The film stars Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, who was introduced in the first game, although his background is largely changed here. Like his game counterpart, however, the movie version of Mike is well-acquainted with 6:00 AM. Mike’s alarm clock goes off at 6:00 as he prepares for another day as a mall security guard. Upon losing that gig, Mike starts working nights at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. In the games, the player’s main goal is to survive a night with roaming killer robots until they can clock out at 6:00 AM. This is also when Mike’s shift ends in the movie. Since Mike has a tendency to fall asleep at the monitors, 6:00 remains his wake-up time as well.

“Celebrating” the Environment

The production design team captures the atmosphere of the games with little touches sprinkled throughout the rustic pizzeria and arcade. There are nods to the Pirate Cove area, air vents large enough to fit a person inside, and a prize section adorned with familiar Halloween masks. At one point, “It’s Me,” can be read on a mirror, alluding to one of the most haunting messages from the early games. Mike’s security office also remains faithful to the games with retro monitors and a striped cup. The background detail that made us rejoice the most would have to be the inclusion of the “Celebrate!” poster. We’re just bummed that Mike didn’t approach the poster and honk Freddy’s nose. That sound effect was sorely missed.

Chica’s Magic Rainbow

Before losing his first security job, Mike stops for ice cream at the mall. Fans will recognize the ice cream parlor’s mascot as Chica’s Magic Rainbow. This grinning rainbow is among the most memorable antagonists from the role-playing spinoff game, “FNaF World.” Despite her cheerful aesthetic, this rainbow is more like a storm cloud, functioning as the 1.20 update’s final boss. You can count on the “Chica’s Magic Rainbow Land” minigame raining on your parade with its high difficulty. Although the rainbow is only an Easter egg here, its misleading appearance does serve as an omen for Mike. One minute, he’s getting an ice cream treat. The next, he’s getting fired. Likewise, a rainbow always seems inviting until its true colors are revealed.

Circus Baby

During the climax, Abby is nearly forced into a springlock suit with pigtails and red cheeks. The suit resembles Circus Baby, who made her debut in “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location.” Headlining Circus Baby’s Pizza World, this singing clown is possessed by Elizabeth Afton, William Afton’s daughter. Again, the movie twists the lore around. It’s revealed that William Afton’s daughter is not only alive, but she’s Vanessa, the cop who tries to help Mike and Abby. When we last see Vanessa, she’s in a coma following a confrontation with her murderous father. If the film gets a sequel, maybe Vanessa’s soul will be transferred into Circus Baby. If that does happen, it’s gonna make the romantic tension between Mike and Vanessa pretty awkward.

Carl Killed by Cupcake

To get Mike fired, his greedy aunt sends a gang to ransack Freddy’s. Among the intruders is a guy named Carl, who wears a shirt referencing the minigame “Midnight Motorist.” Carl signs up for more than what he bargained for, as a cupcake animatronic turns the table and takes a bite out of him. The cupcake isn’t given a proper name in the film. In the games, he didn’t really have an official name at first. For a while, he was generally known as the Cupcake or Mr. Cupcake. However, the fans granted him another alias: Carl, which some consider to be his canonical name. The movie is clearly aware of this, pitting Carl against Carl. Our money was always on the cupcake.

Dream Theory

Haunted by the disappearance of his brother Garrett, Mike believes that he can delve deeper into his memories through his dreams. Toward the beginning of the film, he tries to expand his mind by reading a book called “Dream Theory.” This ties into one of the most hotly debated theories among the “Five Nights” community. In a nutshell, the theory suggests that the whole series is a dream within the mind of the Crying Child from “Five Nights at Freddy’s 4.” Supporters of this theory often point to Toy Chica’s missing beak in the game as evidence. The movie’s Easter egg might not canonize the dream theory, but it goes to show that Scott Cawthon and company are paying attention to the online discourse.

Sparky’s

Any “Five Nights” fan will recognize Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and that cupcake. You’re definitely a diehard if you’ve spent hours obsessing over Sparky the Dog, though. An urban legend, this one-armed canine was rumored to be the secret sixth animatronic. Images even surfaced online, but these were soon exposed as a hoax. The movie makes Sparky a reality… kind of. Plotting against Mike, Aunt Jane and her minions meet at a diner called Sparky’s. And yes, we’ll talk about THAT cameo in time. Even more significant, the restaurant houses a broken-down dog animatronic that appears to be Sparky. We don’t get to see the suit in action, but every dog has its day. Perhaps Sparky will finally get his in the sequel.

Balloon Boy

Not to be confused with that 2009 fiasco in Fort Collins, Balloon Boy has become a fan-favorite “Five Nights” character. Introduced in the second game, this animatronic stands out with his propeller cap and signature striped balloon. In the film, he offers a mix of of jump scares and jump laughs, which fans have come to expect. The little guy startles Mike when he opens his locker in search of his security uniform. Balloon Boy doesn’t attack Mike during his five nights at Freddy’s. However, the smiling animatronic pops up again in the mid-credits scene. He confronts the cap driver (who we’ll also talk more about later). For now, we’re wondering if Balloon Boy attacked the driver or if he was just hitching a hide.

Springtrap Always Comes Back

We guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the same actor who played Stu Macher turns out to be William Afton, the owner of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Initially presenting himself as Mike’s career counselor, Afton reveals his true nature in the climax… wearing a horrifying bunny suit! Fans will recognize the yellow critter as Spring Bonnie. By the time Freddy and his friends are done with Afton, though, he looks a lot more like the decrepit Springtrap, who rises up as the third game’s main villain. The bunny might lose this round, but as any fan will tell you, Afton always comes back. And since this is Matthew Lillard, we feel compelled to play this clip as well: “I’ll be right back.”

YouTuber Cameos

It’s safe to say that “Five Nights at Freddy’s” wouldn’t have become a gaming phenomenon if it weren’t for Let’s Play videos spreading the word. It’s only appropriate that the movie would pay it forward by granting cameos to several YouTubers. On the employee of the month board, photos of 8-Bit Ryan, Baz, Dawko, FusionZGamer, and Razzbowski can be spotted. At Sparky’s Diner, the waiter is none other than Matthew Patrick, or MatPat. Meanwhile, the cab driver is played by Cory Williams, aka CoryxKenshin, whose channel took off after he started playing bone-chilling games like “Bloodborne” and “Freddy’s.” Our only quibble is that Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier, is seemingly nowhere to be found. Hopefully, he at least makes a reaction video to this movie.

Which details made you proud to be a “FNaF” fan? Let us know in the comments!