Five Nights At Freddy's PG-13 Rating Explained By Director

"Five Nights at Freddy's" is another winner for Blumhouse Productions. Based on Scott Cawthon's video game and multimedia franchise of the same name, the cinematic adaptation has caused quite the storm at the box office. The new horror flick debuted to over $75 million in receipts during its opening weekend, despite a day-and-date release on Peacock. It's no surprise that "Freddy's" is one of the most iconic franchises, with fans showing up in droves to support the picture. However, prior to the release of the picture, many were disappointed to learn that the spooky flick would be rated PG-13. 

Considering that the video games are primarily catered towards older children and teenagers, it was a move that made sense — at least financially speaking. Despite a mild PG-13 rating, director Emma Tammi tried her hardest to make the film as scary as possible, pushing the film's tepid MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) rating to its maximum potential. "That meant the kills needed to be executed in a certain way," Tammi explained to Inverse, discussing how the adaptation had to strategically convey kills without leaning into gore. "In some cases, we leaned into shadows and silhouettes and sound design to really feel the moment in an impactful way without showing any gore," Tammi continued, highlighting how the project was able to build dread, while also balancing its sensible rating.

Tammi acknowledges that the film is pushing the PG-13 classification as far as it can go, while also specifying that the rating was put in place to ensure that younger fans of the franchise could watch the flick. 

The PG-13 rating is doing the film marvels, as it makes the film accessible to a wide range of "Five Nights at Freddy's" fans. In its box office report for the project's opening weekend, Deadline noted that the film scored best with those under 25, which isn't surprising considering that's the core audience that grew up with the franchise. The first game debuted in 2014 and the franchise has become a staple for Gen Z, those born between the late '90s and early 2010s. Without a PG-13 rating, it would have been impossible for younger fans to catch the flick in cinemas.

Continuing her chat with Inverse, Emma Tammi pointed out how her film leans heavily into shadow work and highlights the darkness, something she picked up on from the classic vampire pic, "Nosferatu." "When leaning into shadow work for something that feels creepier in the horror space, I always think of that film and pull visuals from it," Tammi said. "Those are images that are seared into my brain in the best sense." 

Those who have seen the film will know that the project effortlessly skirts around violence and gore to create a thrilling experience that relies on the power of darkness and the unknown. Still, some older fans want that deadlier take on "Freddy's." Prior to the film's release, Tammi made it clear that an R-rated, more mature version of the picture wouldn't manifest. "We're really happy with how the PG-13 tone landed; it felt like the right fit for this particular film," Tammi told Forbes. "We're sticking by it."