When fans heard that a film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy's was finally on the way, many rejoiced to see the violent acts of the iconic animatronics on the big screen. However, some then felt a bit deflated when the film received a PG-13 rating in the US.
Speaking with GamesRadar, director Emma Tammi explained that the process was a challenge, but a lot of the violence remains implied. "Going into production we knew that we wanted to really stick [to] a PG 13 rating for this movie," she said. "It felt like it was important and really exciting to be able to include a younger audience to come see this movie. But we also, of course, wanted to deliver on the scares and at least the implied violence of a kill, even if you don't see everything."
"I personally find it sometimes more fun and creative to figure out the way to show the thing without explicitly showing the thing or without graphically showing the thing. It lets your mind go to even darker places sometimes than when you show all the gore in the guts. So, I was really excited about that rating, to be honest."
The Five Nights at Freddy's games never lean too heavily into violence, either. A lot of it is implied, as your game ends as soon as the animatronics find you, giving you a jumpscare right before you're chomped on by some steel teeth.
Do you think the movie can work with a PG-13 rating?
