Horror movies, on average, tend to be shorter than other movies in other genres. There are outliers, of course, but it’s a relatively new phenomenon to have horror movies run closer to two hours rather than a crisp 90 minutes. This is why when AMC listed that the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” runtime is actually an hour and 50 minutes, it was much easier to believe than the three-hour epic it was previously rumored to be. The film also has a PG-13 rating and will be going day-and-date in theaters and streaming on Peacock.
As much as I love the story of “FNaF,” a film looking to appeal to a wider audience than just die-hard fanatics was never, ever going to be three hours long. “Terrifier 2” was one of the longest horror movies released in recent years at 2 hours and 18 minutes, and so-called “elevated horror” films like “Doctor Sleep,” “Midsommar,” and “Nope” don’t hit the three-hour mark.
Fortunately, fans hoping for a longer film don’t need to panic just yet but instead hope that the film performs well. If “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is a financial success, it’ll motivate Blumhouse and Universal to make more installments. Matthew Lillard, who is playing “career counselor Steve Raglan” (we see you WILLIAM AFTON) has said he thinks there will be more movies on the horizon. There’s no need for a three-hour movie when we can just have three full-length movies to make a franchise. So if you’re one of the people mourning the shorter run time, make sure that you vote with your dollar and see the movie on Peacock or in theaters. Studios don’t care about rabid fandoms unless that translates to profits.
“Five Nights at Freddy’s” arrives in theaters and on Peacock on October 27, 2023.
