Is there a genre of film you aren't the biggest fan of...but you suddenly become the #1 supporter of that genre when your fave actor takes it by storm? For me, that's definitely horror and...you guessed it...Josh.
While I've never been one to gravitate towards the latest scary releases, I remember counting down the days until the release of Josh's 2023 horror flick, Five Nights at Freddy's, inspired by the popular video games of the same name. I went on to watch it on Peacock with a gamer friend who could fill me in on the FNAF context, and then...may have seen it three times in theaters. (Okay...four...thank you, Regal Unlimited!)
Even though the horror genre is my least favorite category of movie, Five Nights at Freddy's is one I could get behind. Yes, it stars our boy, but it also has an interestingly creepy concept (I mean...hello souls of children being trapped in animatronics? What?!) and it's not THAT scary. There might be a couple jumpscares, but this is a PG-13 horror addition...and usually...the PG-13 ones aren't as intense (in my opinion). I was, obviously, quite fine with this but if you're looking to see Josh in something creepier...you may have to wait. This was probably the "scariest" movie Josh has ever appeared in, but I don't think he's been in something truly chilling just yet.
Either case, Josh's performance was top notch in this film. He does a good job of highlighting the feelings of shame and guilt that his character Mike struggles with throughout the story. Yes, this is a horror film that's all in good fun, but there's an even darker, emotional theme behind the surface. Mike was a young kid when his brother, Garrett, was kidnapped during a family outing. Since Mike's parents had asked him to keep an eye on his little sibling at that time, the mourning brother blames himself for Garrett's abduction. As a result, he greatly struggles with sleep and obsesses over dreams as he analyzes his sleeping thoughts to try and find clues about what happened to his sibling all those years ago. Meanwhile, he's fighting for custody of his sister, Abby, up against their awful aunt, and is trying to mend his relationship with the little one. He ended up getting his answer in a really unconventional way...by taking an overnight security job at an old pizza joint for kids (similar to the real-life restaurant chain Chuck-E-Cheese) and discovering the secrets that lie there.
Josh is joined by some fantastic co-stars, like the legendary Matthew Lillard (from Scream and Scooby-Doo) and Elizabeth Lail (from the hit show YOU). However, as the star, we see Josh the most, which I was totally okay with! I could see this role being challenging for an actor since you're reacting to so much that isn't "real", like in flashbacks or while running from the animatronics. Josh had to appear genuinely horrified, and I feel like he does this successfully. However, I was most impressed with how he highlights Mike's mental health by expertly displaying those feelings of shame and disgust with himself that the character carries. It makes it easy to root for Mike - we want him to find out what happened to his little bro, keep custody of his sister, and find peace.
Thankfully, this film has a fairly happy ending...but what will happen in the next one? I'm not able to tell ya yet, since Five Nights at Freddy's 2 doesn't come out until December 2025 and I'm writing this in March of 2025...but you know I'll be blogging about it! ;)
Until then..
Peace and Joshperity,
G
Comments