In today’s modern cinema world, the most frightening description of them all is, “Based on the popular video game.” As Hollywood has shown us time and time again (“Street Fighter”, “Super Mario Bros”, “Alone in the Dark”, “Doom”, “Warcraft”, and the list goes on), nothing good can come from taking something that is mindless electronic fun and crafting it into a feature length film. With this in mind, Blumhouse’s “Five Nights at Freddy’s” wants to break that curse.

After 8 years of fits and starts, the monstrously popular game finally comes to the big screen, after becoming something of a phenomenon since its debut in 2014. Born from the cleverly twisted mind of its creator Scott Cawthon, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” the game (FNaF to its fans) became a cult sensation. With its creepy design, chilling atmosphere, and the depth of its well-thought out lore, fans have long waited for a film adaptation.

The plot of the game is silly but creative. The action takes place at a fictional family pizza place “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza”, named after its mascot, the animatronic Freddy Fazbear. A popular spot in the 1980s, the restaurant has been closed down for years, due to sinister events that involved missing children. In many of the games (to date, there are nine), the player takes the role of an overnight security guard, who utilizes security cameras, flashlights, and vents to survive the night against the animatronic characters who come alive in the dark.

The film begins by introducing Mike (a solid Josh Hutcherson), a security guard with authority and anger issues that see him fired from jobs after only a short time of employment. With two deceased parents and his work life in shambles, he is desperate to keep custody and care of his little sister Abby (Piper Rubio). Mike is plagued by recurring nightmares of his younger brother Garrett (Lucas Grant), who went missing years ago after being abducted at a campground. While dreaming, Mike tries to relive the moment when his brother was taken in the hope that he will tap into his visual memory and identify the kidnapper.

Adding to his troubles is an ongoing custody battle with their control freak Aunt Jane (the always welcome Mary Stuart Masterson), who wants custody of young Abby, as she believes the socially awkward young girl needs a better caretaker. At the precipice of desperation, MIke consults “career counselor” Steve Raglan (Matthew Lillard) to find him a job, which ends up being the security guard position at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.

The screenplay was written by Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback, and director Emma Tammi (from a story by Tyler MacIntyre, Chris Lee Hill, and Cawthon). Director Tammi and her co-writers open up the story. In the game, the protagonist is an unknown night watchman motivated only by survival. The film rightfully gives Mike a backstory and motivation to keep going to such a strange job where everything seems “off”.

While many films in the horror genre could certainly benefit from more character development, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” spends too much time away from the location of the title. A little less family drama and a lot more haunted pizza joint would have amped this picture up. Cawthon’s game is a visceral thrill full of atmospheric terrors and nail-biting tension. Every moment is a creepy aura of sound and shadowy visuals where the danger gets closer and closer by the second. The film captures these moments, but only in a couple of scenes. Just when we think the film will be heavy on the tension, it moves away, returning to Mike and his personal issues. We shall dub this the “Halloween Ends Curse”, as that film suffered from cutting away from Michael Myers, in favor of a new character.