Is Willy’s Wonderland a Five Nights at Freddy’s rip-off?

WilFred Howey, Staff Writer

Willy’s Wonderland is finally out! This film, starring Nicolas Cage, was under the radar of a lot of people since it was the first film created and written by G.O. Parsons. What director?

Willy’s Wonderland is about a guy only referred to as “the janitor” who agrees to clean the “family fun center” for one night as payment for the repairs done to his damaged vehicle. Once in for the night, he soon realizes that the place he agreed to clean is home to possessed animatronics that want to see him dead. Cage has to survive the night and clean the building before he can leave in his fixed vehicle.

For starters, I liked Nicolas Cage in the film. He played the character well in the film and you could tell that he enjoyed playing the role. Even though Cage doesn’t have a single line in the film, he does very well in expressing how he feels with body language and facial expressions. On top of that, the filmmakers know that it is a cheesy thriller and know how to be comedic with its timing as well as its cheesy fight scenes. 

A YouTube reviewer at 3C Films said, “I really dug the lore that they brought into Willy’s Wonderland and why this place is overrun by these evil animatronics.”

On the other hand, with how the film is put together, the cheesiness of it kind of hurts it in a way. There were times throughout the film that were oversaturated with dumb-comedy. This includes the basic teen deaths, how people acted with others dying, and even Cage leaving a girl to fight the animatronic by herself because it was “break-time.”

The reviewer at 3C Films also said, “I had some dumb fun with it. It was a good watch for me, and I don’t consider this a bad movie. I just consider this an entertaining watch with a couple of faults here and there.”

All in all, Willy’s Wonderland is a fun film for anyone who loves cheesy films, action, or thriller comedy’s. Nicolas Cage did a great job portraying his character and having fun with him. Even though some parts of the film are basic in the sense of thrillers/horrors, the film knows what it is and has fun with the idea, which makes the experience a lot more enjoyable.