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The Green Mile (1999)

Written By: Caleb Tiedemann (’25)

“I’m tired, boss. Tired of bein’ on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we’s coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I’m tired of people being ugly to each other. I’m tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world everyday. There’s too much of it.” – John Coffey

The Green Mile is the tale of Paul Edgecombe’s experience as a prison guard on death row. When a gentle giant John Coffey is sentenced to death, Paul and the other guards are confronted with Coffey’s mysterious healing power and do everything to stave off his execution. The Green Mile is one of those movies that leaves the viewer with so much to think about. It touches on themes of friendship, innocence, sadism, love, and guilt. Each character is so marvelously crafted to represent one of those themes throughout the movie. John Coffey represents innocence, Paul Edgecombe represents guilt, Brutal Howell represents friendship, Percy Wetmore represents sadism, and Eduard “Del” Delacroix represents love. All of these characters and all of these representations are wonderfully done with each actor giving their utmost in terms of performance. From a technical aspect, The Green Mile is in capable hands. Frank Darabont handles the camera with perfection, highlighting such visceral and raw emotional scenes. He manages to break brilliant performances from every actor. Percy is one of the vilest characters to ever exist in cinematic history and disgusts me in a way that can only be answered by throwing punches. I have to hand it to Doug Hutchinson for his performance because he gives one of the most despicable portrayals of a character. On the opposite side of the spectrum is John Coffey: a gentle giant with a very special gift. These characters are the foundation of what can be considered such a morally complex movie. Death Row is a hot topic in certain circles from the legal perspective and this movie does much to highlight the sadness and brutality of an organized death. The climactic ending is potent and seers itself into your heart and mind hitting every perfect emotional beat. The final walk on the Mile proves to be emotionally detrimental and morally convoluted. One of the themes that stuck out to me was the similarities between Christ’s crucifixion and Coffey’s death. Both were innocently convicted and killed men with special gifts of healing. Just some interesting food for thought. I cry over a lot of movies and this one was no exception. I do truly love film in a way that I can hardly explain until a movie, such as this, comes along and shows everything good about the movie-making industry. ★

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When you worry — Look to the Birds

Written by: Karl Schmidt

Luke 12:22-25 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples; ‘therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the Ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storerooms or barns, yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?’” We have many occasions in life to worry. What career path to take, who to be friends with, who to date, who to marry, etc., the list is never ending. Years ago, I had finished my bachelor’s degree and student teaching and was looking for a job. After a whole summer of interviews, I went back home to my parents’ house, with no job and a wife and baby. I had a great opportunity to worry. A month into the school year I was called for an interview, as a long-term sub, and finally got a job teaching history at Rushford Central School (Cuba-Rushford Central School) where I stayed for 30 years. I think all of us can look back at our lives and see how God sustained us and by doing so taught us not to worry.Besides my love for teaching, I’ve always had a love for birdwatching. I’ve been fascinated about the variety of ways birds find things to eat and what they eat: from a Belted Kingfisher or an Osprey diving from a great height into the lake to catch a fish, to Ruby Throated Hummingbirds drinking nectar from my bee balm flowers (they also eat a lot of spiders), or to Vultures that eat dead animals (they have special enzymes in their gut that can break down the most disgusting rotted meat that would probably kill us). Last summer I watched a little American Redstart, a bird in the Warbler family, like a miniature fighter pilot chase a moth, finally grabbing it with its beak and after struggling with it a little bit, swallowing it down. Once while out for a walk, I watched an enterprising Gray Catbird in front of a beehive picking off bees as they flew out. For those of you who visit Florida, you might know of the Anhinga, a bird that chases fish underwater and spears them with its beak; or the various species of herons that wait patiently to grab a fish in the shallows. Closer to home, while canoeing by a rocky island in the Adirondacks (Canada Island, Lake Lila), I watched a baby Spotted Sandpiper struggling with a dragonfly it had caught by the tail — perhaps the first meal of its life. Winter can be a particularly hard time for birds to find food. But again, God cares for His creation. Cedar Waxwings, Robins, Chickadees, and Bluebirds are sustained throughout the cold winter by eating berries left over from the Fall and the tops of Sumacs. We’ve all seen woodpeckers at suet feeders, but many times in the wild I have seen Downy Woodpeckers and Chickadees picking at the fat of a dead deer carcass. For one month in May thousands of songbirds flying north from Central America get to the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio and stop exhausted and hungry. But at that very time in early May, hundreds of thousands of Caddisflies hatch and provide the needed food for the birds to make it across the lake. The same scenario I’ve seen in birds that make it across Lake Erie at Point Pelee, a park in Ontario with a peninsula that stretches out into the lake, one of the first spots birds stop to find more to eat to replenish their supplies.Many of you may have witnessed God supplying birds with food in some way or another. The Creator of the universe has provided for His birds, sometimes specifically by how they were created, and sometimes by the impact of other parts of His creation like the Caddisfly hatch. God loves us so much, how much more will He provide for us.Karl Schmidt, Birdwatcher ☆

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Sword Art Online

Written by: Julian Veley (’25)

A-1 Pictures’ Sword Art Online is an anime based on a manga series of the same name. Personally, I have not read the manga but instead chose to begin by watching the series. SAO is a story full of emotion; if you are a hopeless romantic, it will hit you deeply.

The story is based in the 2020s with the release of a new Virtual Reality headset titled “Nerve Gear.” This new headset, unlike VR headsets we know, does not require the user to stand and move. Instead, the user lays flat on their back with the headset on. When powered on, it takes control of the five senses, putting the user in a vegetative state to the outside world, but in the headset, their mind is active, controlling their characters and remaining very conscious. Viewers follow the story of Kazuto Kirigaya, “Kirito,” (voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuok) and his experience in the Nerve Gear.

On the release day of the Nerve Gear alongside the VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online RolePlay Game) Sword Art Online, 10,000 players logged on for the first time to experience the opening ceremony. When some users are unable to log out of the game, tension rises. They are then informed by Kayaba (the Games’ creator) that in order to leave, they must beat all 100 Levels of Aincrad, the steel castle the world of SAO is set in. He also informs the players that those who suffer in-game deaths or attempt to forcibly remove the Nerve Gear will experience death in the real world. Kirito, being one of one thousand beta testers, has a headstart on the game. In order to protect other players, he sets out on his own. On his journey, he meets another player by the name of Asuna Yuuki (voiced by Haruka Tomatsu), with whom he develops an attachment and soon falls in love with. From that point forward, the story is a battle for their love, showing the extent to which one will go to save another and how willpower is stronger than any physical or mental barrier. The entire first season is powerful – a rollercoaster of emotions, with mystery, sacrifice, death, plot twists, cliffhangers, and more than I can fit into this review.

In comparison to popular anime shows such as Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, etcetera, there are no filler episodes. Every episode moves the story along. Even if it’s a side quest that does not directly follow the main mission, it has a relation. I highly recommend this to anyone who has an appreciation for anime. You don’t need to like romantic stories, and you don’t need to like video games. The action and adventure is incredible, and you’ll find yourself sucked in before you even realize it. ★

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The Beatles: In Review

Written By: Josey Ikker (’24)

I don’t know anyone else who has a good knowledge of the Beatles except for maybe a Houghton professor and a sibling, but I’ve been listening to the Beatles since I was about 7 or 8. The first instance I was introduced to this classic boy band was Yellow Submarine, a jukebox musical adaptation, based on the song of the name, released in 1968. The story focuses on a fantasy world that is taken over by henchmen called the Blue Meanies and numerous other villains who despise music-making. A captain, Fred, then travels to Liverpool, London to seek help from the fab-four to return to Pepperland and bring music back into the paradise. The film uses a lot of unique art styles done by Czech-German Heinz Edelmann; however the voices for the Beatles were done by counterpart actors with a live-action sequence at the end of the film of the original members. Growing up, I often overheard my sibling, who is also a Beatles fan, listening to a handful of albums throughout the day including, Rubber Soul, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts, White Album, Abbey Road and a handful of others. Recently I began collecting vinyls and my first Beatles record, as a birthday present, was Rubber Soul, which has been in my top 3 favorites for some time now. Though Rubber Soul showed a lot of growth in their style, I was a little shocked, but realized that it made sense when I found out that the Beatles were in a rush to complete Rubber Soul. Yet they put most of their time and effort, not even on a Tour or filming session. It took almost 2 weeks to record and another six days to mix everything together. In November 2023, I had discovered news that the Beatles would be releasing their “Last song.” This final song would be called Now and Then. But how was this possible? John Lennon hasn’t been with us since December 1980 and George Harrison since November 2001. Well, back in the ’90s, Paul, Ringo and George had attempted to use demo recordings of John Lennon’s and mix those with their instrumentation. They had completed 2 of 3 songs from John Lennon; those being Free as a Bird and Real Love as part of their Anthology project. However, the one that wasn’t completed at the time was of course Now and Then as the vocals muffled with the piano made it too difficult to interpret and they didn’t have the technology at the time to complete it. Fast forward to 2022, Paul and Ringo, as George had passed away in 2001, came back to tackle Now and Then again. Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings films, had done a lot of work restoring archives of The Beatles, specifically for the Disney+ documentary series: Get Back from 2021. Jackson was able to create a technology to create separate tracks for the vocals, and accompaniment. Jackson shared in the Get Back Short Film, found on YouTube, “That ultimately led us to develop a technology, which allows us to take any soundtrack and split all the different components into separate tracks based on machine learning.” Now and Then represented a legacy the Beatles created and is still recognized to this day, with uses of 1970s vocals and contemporary instrumentation with simple, yet powerful lyrics. A week after Now and Then’s release, The Beatles had also come out with re-releases and expansions of the Red and Blue Albums including the new single. Overall, The Beatles, to me, still hold a place in my heart with the many genres and styles in rock and roll they portrayed, including creating that final song for a whole new generation. I would recommend listening to Now and Then, even if you’re not into the Beatles as much. You might be surprised how deep and meaningful it is. ★

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Southern Tier Symphony

Written By: Grace Vuolo (’24)

Saturday night, the Southern Tier Symphony performed at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University, continuing their twenty-first season, “Journey On!,” with its second series, “Adventure.” The symphony features Houghton’s own Dr. David Clem on viola, Daniel Zambrano on cello, Dianna Clem on piccolo, and graduate Jack Smith on trumpet. The music director and conductor, Benjamin Grow, opened the concert by conducting the ensemble and audience in The Star-Spangled Banner before smoothly transitioning to John Philip Sousa’s The Star and Stripes Forever. Grow’s conducting was lively and displayed precision that would set the tone for his conducting throughout the rest of the concert. This Sousa composition featured portions that highlighted Dianna Clem’s proficient piccolo playing as well as Jack Smith’s strong trumpet and a well-synchronized string section. The next piece played was Giacomo Rossini’s Overture to The Barber of Seville. Grow conducted the dynamic changes with clarity that encouraged accurate playing for the ensemble. The softer sections stood out as the strings and winds maintained an impressive quality of sound through soft dynamic levels. The violins remained well in sync throughout the piece, following the concertmaster, James Ieda, who led with serenity and prestige. The Waltz from Sleeping Beauty by the illustrious Piotr Illych Tchaikovsky stole the show from the moment it began. Commonly associated with the classic Disney film, this Tchaikovsky piece bore much nostalgia that was phenomenally brought to life through the sweet strings, rhythmic winds, and soaring brass. Grow’s conducting perfectly communicated the style of the song and gave clear cutoffs for a synchronized orchestra. The next piece, Hungarian March, was composed by Hector Berlioz. The strings sounded loud and full as the other sections played in good harmony with one another. The brass section entered strong upon the conductor’s cue yielding an even fuller sound. The fast-paced sections within the piece also were played with precision and distinguished talent. Roses of the South by Johann Strauss followed, bearing the same excellence in dynamic and stylistic transitions accomplished by the ensemble and conductor as the previous songs. This piece was succeeded by another one of the best performances of the night, another Tchaikovsky composition, Act 1, No. 2 from Swan Lake. I was excited to see this in the program and surprised when the conductor had a lapse of memory and nearly skipped over it. Fortunately, members of the ensemble reminded him, and the nostalgic, powerful sweetness of the piece enveloped the audience. The brass and percussion played in perfect synchronization, and the featured oboist played out the melody beautifully, making this a highlight of the concert. Leroy Anderson’s Bugler’s Holiday featured Jack Smith along with the other trumpeter who were both surprisingly joined by Grow also on trumpet. A brief intermission followed this piece. During intermission, there was an undeniable anticipation building. If the first half was so incredible, what did the second half have in store?Apparently, not much. The second half opened with the Poet and the Peasant Overture by Franz von Suppé which was a rather generic composition compared to the other songs that had been played. The percussion was overpowering, particularly at the end, and the piece overall brought down the level of anticipation for the rest of the performance. The following well-known piece, The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II, although played well stylistically, featured tired strings and poorly-timed percussion that contrasted the lively conducting and strong brass section. Next was Radetzsky March, written by Johann Strauss I, wherein Grow encouraged audience involvement by clapping to the beat during the main musical motif. The audience kept the beat well, but the strings majorly messed up rhythmically and harmonically, possibly thrown off by the external involvement. At this point, with such a blatant mistake, I had lost hope in the rest of the performance. Fortunately, the show was pulled together beautifully for the Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker, another piece by Piotr Illych Tchaikovsky. Perhaps this reviewer is just partial to Tchaikovsky, but this was the third highlight of the entire performance. Cristin Kalinowski opened with a harp solo free from the conductor. This lilted throughout the room, encouraging dynamically balanced winds and unified strings that followed Grow’s masterful guidance. Finally, the symphony closed out the performance just as it was opened, with a piece by John Philip Sousa, The Washington Post, which was an upbeat, precise, and successful end to the concert.Overall, despite the mistakes, watching the Southern Tier Symphony was a beautiful and inspiring experience for this young musician and reviewer. Given the opportunity, I would certainly encourage going to see them perform, as I would hope to as well at the next chance, which will be again at St. Bonaventure University on May 4th. ★

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The Creator (2023) Review

Written By: Joseph Schmidt (’24)

Set in 2070, 15 years after a nuclear detonation in Los Angeles that started a war against AI, Sergeant Joshua Taylor, played by John David Washington, an ex-special forces agent, is recruited to hunt down a mysterious terrorist going by the name Nirmata, or “Creator”. The United States military has gained valuable information that Nirmata has created a super weapon which could cause the US to lose the war against the AI threat. But when Joshua discovers the super weapon is a robotic child, he finds himself at a loss of what to do.

“The Creator” honestly surprised me as a movie. When I first saw the trailers for the movie, it looked like it was nothing more than a Star Wars rip off, which I suppose is what happens when you get the fantastic Gareth Edwards, the same director who created “Rogue One”. But when I first watched the movie, I was pretty interested in all the concepts of robots, humans and AI all interacting together in a shared universe, only to have AI become the main threat. However, “The Creator” shows an interesting perspective from both sides of this war against the AI. It shows the fear and anger of the US and the US military, who have vigilantly fought against robots, simulants and AI in order to make sure there is no more threat of nuclear extinction, but it also shows the perspective of New Asia, the country harboring and supporting the robots, simulants and AI because they believe that these beings are as real as humans are.Yet, the story never shifts away from Joshua and the super weapon child known as Alphie, played by Madeleine Yuna Voyles.

Joshua’s reason for going after this super weapon is because he’s trying to find his wife, who is in New Asia and supposedly helping the New Asian forces create Alphie. Joshua’s mission was to collect the super weapon or destroy it in order to find his wife and return home with her. However, after the mission goes wrong, Joshua and Alphie must find their way across New Asia and avoid the New Asian forces looking for them both. As Joshua understands what’s at stake, why begin to see and understand more of the perspective of New Asians and how that convinces Joshua to switch sides over the course of the movie. This was something I appreciated, that Joshua didn’t have a quick moment where he changed sides in the middle of a battle, but instead slowly began to understand why Alphie was created as a defense for the New Asians, not an offense.

Overall, “The Creator” is definitely one of my new favorite movies. A compelling story, a new approach of conflict and love and trying to understand that just because something isn’t alive doesn’t mean it’s not real. We watch Joshua struggle as a soldier taking care of Alphie as she learns the world, trying to avoid threats while guarding what he had considered a threat. We watch Alphie gain more understanding of her enhanced abilities and how they impact the people of New Asia in many different ways. We watch the brutality of war, the tactics used in the midst of fear, and the sacrifices and losses that come as a result. No one in this movie is safe. It made the movie seem so real despite being set in 2070.

However, some things were predictable in the movie. While deaths are inevitable and some are definitely shocking and surprising, some events are incredibly predictable. In fact, some are pretty stupidly coincidental as well. And while these coincidences and predictable events aren’t relied upon for the story to continue, it did make me a tiny bit disappointed by such cliche scenes.

In conclusion, I did enjoy the movie. I loved this movie. It surprised me, made me emotional on my first watch through in a few parts, and played into tension beautifully. Not to mention that the cinematography was impressive. It’s definitely worth the watch if you’re a Sci-Fi fan, and it keeps you engaged from start to finish. Seriously, watch it for yourselves!

Final Grade: 8.7/10 ★

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2023: A Beautiful Culmination of Cinema

Written by: Caleb Tiedemann (’25)

With Oscar nominations released and the award ceremony around the corner, it is time for another yearly review of the ups and downs of the entertainment industry that is known as Hollywood. 2023 was both a very serious and silly year for film. With films like Cocaine Bear and Five Nights at Freddy’s being released the B-movie representation was present. Marvel released two critically panned and theatrically bombing films in the form of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels. Their third, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, managed to defy expectations but mostly due to the quality of the Guardians movies. James Gunn, as usual, pours heart, soul, and humor into his films and Vol. 3 was no different. With these critical flops appearing almost back-to-back and continuing off of the superhero flops from 2022, Marvel is slowly treading water but losing energy. DC seems to be in a very similar boat with 2023 being the final nail in the coffin for the DCEU before James Gunn does a creative overhaul. A sequel to Shazam! came out and though I found some personal enjoyment in the movie, many other fans did not, resulting in a flop for DC. The Flash was also released and was mostly disliked for its convoluted storyline and ugly visuals (both of which I can confirm to be true). The final flatulent note of the DCEU came in the form of Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom, a film of muddled messages and ideas, inconsistent humor, generic storytelling, and the almost universally disliked Amber Heard. But it was not just the superhero franchises that suffered, there were many sendoffs to beloved franchises aside from the previously mentioned ones. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was met with very mixed reviews among fans and critics and it provided me with one of the most disappointing, dumbest, plot-hole-ridden, and truly revolting portrayals of modern storytelling that disguised itself as an Indiana Jones film. Poor 80-year-old Harrison Ford is dragged through a terribly written movie that has none of the adventure, character, and heart that the originals contain. Apparently, my feelings were similar to those of others as it drastically underperformed. In other news the pen-ultimate two-parter of the Mission: Impossible franchise came out to fans such as myself who have been watching Tom Cruise do insanely crazy stunts for the past decade. Another send-off came in the form of John Wick: Chapter 4, the well-deserved and intense action film to put the beloved franchise to rest. One of the biggest upsides of this year came from the release of films helmed by popular and beloved directors. M. Night Shyamalan, the beloved horror/thriller director, released Knock at the Cabin, a tense and wonderfully acted film that dealt with familial love and sacrifice in an unconventional and heart-wrenching way. David Fincher released his assassin-led drama The Killer which explored more of the downtime between each job and was received with mixed reactions. Famed director Martin Scorsese released The Killers of the Flower Moon, a brilliant period piece about the horrors the Osage Native-American nation experienced at the hands of greedy and evil white colonizers. The biggest and best releases came around the middle of the year starting with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Across the Spider-Verse was a beautiful, emotional, and well-done film that touches upon a lot of heavier issues than expected and draws so much heart from its main ensemble. But, the undoubted magnum opus from this year is “Barbenheimer.” These two movies that managed to shake the entire internet up by the vast differences of their subject matter. Christopher Nolan’s epic boasts a talented cast of characters, rushing to create the first atomic bomb. As they get closer and closer to succeeding the weight of what they are doing sets in and the aftereffects shock the entire world. With one of the best endings, stellar pacing, and an around amazing cast, Oppenheimer was a true treat and is definitely worth the awards it is receiving. Barbie, on the other hand, did not meet my expectations in the same way. It was still a very fun movie and I am very aware that I am not considered the target audience. The movie boasts a colorful ensemble of characters and heart and seeks to define questions surrounding womanhood and femininity. Though I do think the morals are a bit clunky, and the writers bit off more than they could chew in terms of the message they sought to convey, I would be foolish to deny Barbie’s cultural impact. This year was another great one for movies as we got a wide variety from all across the film-making spectrum. The summer blockbuster season has never been more ominous and exciting and with independent and unique films coming into the limelight, it seems that Marvel and DC are being pushed back to the shadows. Alas, who knows what the future holds? One thing I can say is that 2024 already has a good roster of films to look forward to! ★

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The Grinch (2018)

Written by: Kat Wojsiat (’24)

The Grinch (2018) was a controversial movie upon release. The 1966 Dr. Seuss story already had a classic cartoon rendition that lived in the hearts of all, and a 2000 goofy, well-known live action film featuring Jim Carrey.

When the 2018 remake was announced, many people felt as though it was unnecessary, and that Benedict Cumberbatch was not a good fit for the role of the Grinch. I, myself, did not have high hopes for the movie, and I actually didn’t even bother to watch it for the first couple of years after it was released. During the first Christmas of Covid, I was in desperate need of more Christmas movies to watch, so I gave it a try – and quickly fell in love.

The rich, vibrant colors of the animation, the aggressively intense Christmas decorations, the lack of physics, the carolers chasing people down… No movie better captures the Christmas spirit for me. It has become a yearly staple of the Christmas season for me to wrap myself in a fuzzy blanket with a peppermint hot chocolate and watch this movie. Benedict Cumberbatch’s energy is goofy and fun, but it also brings something new to the table that separates it from the first two movies.

This Grinch is given more of a backstory and a more fulfilling redemption arc. He also appreciates Max more than the previous two Grinches, which I greatly appreciate as an animal lover. I also love the addition of Bricklebaum, a jolly Christmas-loving man who lives at the bottom of Mount Crumpit and thinks he and the Grinch are best friends. It adds a psychosocial dynamic to the story of the Grinch only being able to accept love when he lets go of his deep-seeded bitterness.

One of the best things about this movie is that it is wonderfully ideal for us college students who are in the finals season leading up to Christmas, because it is only 90 minutes long. It is the perfect short, easy-to-watch, light-hearted Christmas movie to take your mind off finals for a few minutes before diving back into work, and I look forward to it every year. ★

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Our Town Review

Olivia Kleinau (’23)

The Houghton University Lyric Theater’s rendition of Our Town, told a heartfelt story of love, life, and death.

I appreciated the message of the play, which was to Enjoy your life. Both the simple pleasures and simple moments.

This was best conveyed in Act 3, when one of the main characters, Emily Webb (Played by Lydia Reich), tragically passed away (which destroyed me). During the act, we got an interesting look at the perspective of the characters who died throughout the play, as the tone turns somber. The characters reflect on their lives, realizing how much they took for granted. It is also interesting for the audience to reflect on their own life and morality. Life is short, and should be lived with every day being important. 

The message is clear: Every moment matters, even the ones that feel like our mundane everyday life. Don’t take it for granted.

I think everyone did a fantastic job in the show. It was very easy to connect with the characters as well as the message. 

There were also many moments of humor which were well appreciated amidst the tragedies. The actors did a wonderful job at blending humor into the dialogue without it being forced or out of place. It added an appreciated lighthearted element as we watched the characters go about their day to day lives. 

The town the story took place in was an important character as well, helping to further convey the message that everything changes, even when it seems like nothing does. The world keeps spinning even when everything around us is changing. Nothing is permanent, but sometimes change is gradual. It was an impactful story that thoughtfully used a narrator, the Stage Manager (Played by Cody Johnson), to aid in communicating the changes in the town between acts that we couldn’t necessarily see.I found the fourth wall breaks to add to the story, rather than take away from it, which is a difficult balance.

Overall, it was an impactful story, one that should make everyone contemplate living and being alive. ★

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Five Nights at Freddy’s Review

Written by: Joseph Schmidt (’24)

Five Nights At Freddy’s is a movie set in the year 2000, where Mike Schmidt (played by the talented Josh Hutcherson), the main protagonist, is struggling to find any work to take care of his younger sister, Abby and avoid eviction. His only hope is a night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, an abandoned family restaurant. Mike soon finds out that “where fantasy and fun comes to life”, so do other things, as the abandoned animatronics Bonnie, Chica, Freddy, and Foxy are still active, and they are not friendly. With the help of a local police officer, Vanessa, Mike struggles to survive each night shift at the pizzeria and figure out why the animatronics are out for blood.

If any of you know the famous games this movie is based off of, then you can probably relate to how excited I was to finally see this movie completed and released. The movie gives you a first hand look into how the animatronics operate during the night within the opening minutes. It gave a sense of anticipation but also the uneasiness one could expect from a thriller. The movie also has a great sense of mystery, as we follow Mike’s journey as he tries to figure out why the animatronics are so dangerous as well as his nightmare of his brother’s kidnapping. The plot bounces back and forth between the shifts at Freddy’s and Mike battling his aunt for custody over his sister, Abby, which does provide a tiny bit of contrast to the dangers of Freddy’s with a grounding real-world challenge which we can sympathize with. The sense of danger and intensity, however, is kept up really well through the first half of the film until they interrupt with a very out-of-place montage. The movie took a turn there, and everything became far less serious.

However, the movie does slowly and carefully redeem itself near the end. The feeling of intensity didn’t really come back entirely, but the dangers became obvious again in the final chapter as stakes were raised for all the characters. The ending of the movie felt satisfactory as the mysteries all came together and the final villain was revealed.

Overall, I did enjoy the movie! It was a fun watch, and the acting was great. Every character had a necessary role, and nobody felt out of place. The cinematography is nothing too special, but that helps lend a hand to the deadness of Mike’s life as he struggles to stay afloat. However, the movie is definitely more based off of the books instead of the original video games, which I did find to be slightly disappointing. The movie’s story stayed partially faithful to the game’s lore, though it seemed as though it wanted to take a new approach to the franchise and its threats.

Personally, I wish the movie relied on the games’ story and lore more heavily, as the animatronics felt dangerous but never truly threatening to the characters. They felt more like creepy obstacles than scary threats, and I hope they change that. The PG-13 rating for the movie also hindered its creative capabilities, I believe. Much of the original Five Nights at Freddy’s lore involves darker topics than the movie is able to touch on and any topics the movie does bring to the big screen aren’t translated very well. However, for a rating of PG-13, I will say that Blumhouse did a fantastic job of convincing us otherwise. Could it have been more creative if it had a different rating? Yes. But it did not disappoint me, it simply made me wish for more.

In conclusion, I liked the movie! It did well overall, and I was genuinely surprised and excited by some of the details and reveals. With a sequel already confirmed to be in pre-production, I’m excited to see how they build off of the first movie into the second one, and with hopes that they’ll improve and grow the overall story of Five Nights at Freddys.  ★

Final Grade: 7/10