Early in 2021, a horror film saw a straight-to-streaming release alongside a limited theatrical release. This, combined with the restrictions still in place, severely impacted the box office gross of the film known asWilly’s Wonderland(2021). Despite this and the mixed reviews the film received after release; there has been a cult following behind thelatest Nicolas Cage movie.
Reminding fans of fellow cult classics like the short filmThe Hug(2018)and the horror adaptation ofThe Banana Splits Movie(2019),Willy’s Wonderland(2021) became an underrated hit on streaming servicessuch as Hulu.Here, we’ll break down the critical components of the film’s success and examine why many have clamored for the film, reminding many gamers of theFive Nights at Freddy’sfranchise.
The Classic Teenage Horror Tropes
While the Janitor is the film’s lead star, the teenage ensemble carries the legacy of multiple horror tropes with all of their antics. Early on in the movie, we are introduced to our deuteragonist, Liv Hawthorne. Showing the rebellious teen spirit so often on display in this genre, Liv is being placed under house arrest by her maternal figure, Sheriff Eloise Lund.
Liv is headstrong and will often ignore the reasonable warnings of her friends and the adults to do what she feels is right, such as when she stopped her friends from lighting the restaurant on fire to ensure the Janitor was safe. Another example of teenage horror tropes would be when Kathy and Bob disregarded their immediate danger and separated from the group to have sex. They would suffer the consequences after being mauled to death by Arty the Alligator.
Some of the greatest horror films have well-established lore behind their stories. From the story ofthe boy who drownedinFriday the 13th (1980)and the man who wanted vengeance for being burned alive inA Nightmare on Elm Street(1984), the best horror films of all time had established their lore early into their franchises.Willy’s Wonderland (2021)shows its true colors halfway through the film.
Many comparisons were made to the video game franchiseFive Nights at Freddy’s, and the dark origins of the evil animatronics only helped bolster those claims. With eight violent killers performing a satanic ritual, this group would possess the animatronics inside the restaurant and begin to go on a killing spree, murdering everyone in the town. The town’s major figures would come together and make a deal with Willy, the group’s leader. In exchange for luring visitors and helpless passerby to stay the night in the restaurant for free (under the guise of paying off a debt with a night’s worth of janitorial work), the killers would murder these citizens while sparing the people of the town.
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The Silent Hero
Nicolas Cage has crafted quite a resume with hismany roles in filmssuch asNational Treasure(2005) andGhost Rider(2007). In this film, Cage takes his charismatic personality to new levels withthe silent heroknown only as the Janitor.Having his car break down,the Janitor would seek repairs. But with no money to pay for the service, the corrupt mechanic would enlist this man as the next victim of Willy and his pals under the guise of performing an honest night’s work.
When the Janitor first encounters Ozzie Ostrich, he doesn’t respond with fear. After killing the evil animatronic, the Janitor cleans the restaurant without a care. He proceeds to murder every animatronic that gets in his way with the same indifference. He never seeks out violence; but when it comes, he answers swiftly. The persona continues to flair when his alarm goes off, and the Janitor proceeds to take a break where he drinks as much soda as possible and continues to beat his high score on the pinball machine, all without making a single sound.
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The Dedication to Finality
Whereas many modern films seek to bring in the biggest cash grab possible by planting the seeds for a franchise, this film seems to be dedicated to tying up any possible loose ends. With eight possessed animatronics on the prowl and three corrupt members of the town community dealing with them, one could easily see how this story could be dragged out in future films or adapted into a television series. It’s already been formatted into a comic book series depicting the origin stories of each killer.
But the sheriff, mechanic, and restaurant owner are all killed towards the end of the film, murdered by the very animatronics they had made a deal with. And as for the animatronics in question, the Janitor would murder most of the creatures himself, employing a variety of weapons that he picks up throughout the night. And to ensure there was no question of there being one animatronic standing, first, Siren Sara would blow herself up while killing the mechanic and restaurant owner. Following this, the Janitor with the newly liberated Liv would run over and destroy Tito Turtle, who had previously killed a police officer that had been escorting Liv home.
