I know I’m showing my age here, but I’m not quite sure I get Five Nights at Freddy’s. I mean, I get it broadly. It’s big, scary animatronics. What eludes me is the tomes of lore developed over different media over the years. There are the games, of course, but also copypastas, books, and other possibly canon additions that render it so much more than “Chuck-E-Cheese, but evil.” If you’ve got anyone in your life under, say, 12, just ask them about it. They’ll keep you there for hours.
Emma Tammi’s film adaptation at least got a lot right. Not only was it a massive box office success, grossing almost $300 million against a $20 million budget, our own review from Josh Korngut reads, “The strange and effective Blumhouse adaptation of the cult ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ games treats its source material’s expansive lore with reverence, but to a place of over-complication.”
With a massively anticipated sequel on the way, fans might want to know that director Emma Tammi’s solo debut is no less effective. In fact, it’s pretty terrifying. Now, it’s streaming online.
The Wind, now streaming on Shudder, is a masterclass in Western tension. Merging a ghost story with dust bowl theatrics, it’s quite unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. The critical reviews reflect this, with The Wind garnering an 82% Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critical reception is certainly stronger than for Five Nights at Freddy’s, though I recognize they’re not quite the best parallels. Emma Tammi has demonstrated heaps of style and tonal control; however, what renders the latter so remarkable is even more evident in The Wind.
The set-up is simple. Caitlin Gerard’s Elizabeth ‘Lizzy’ Macklin is isolated in her rural New Mexico cabin. Poverty and illness run rampant, and she does her best to simply survive. The eponymous wind manifests, messing with both her psyche and appearing as violent, poltergeist activity. I won’t spoil more, but it’s a moody, deeply feminist fright fest that’s not to be missed. Fans on social media have even made positive comparisons to Robert Eggers’ The Witch. See more below:
What do you think? Any plans to check out The Wind on Shudder? Are you excited for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins, where I’m also down to hear about what other up-and-coming horror directors I’ve got to be keeping my eye on.
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