“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” A Clunky, Yet Fun Movie That Fans of the Game Will Enjoy

When “Five Nights at Freddy's" was released a few years ago, many fans of the video games flocked to theaters (or streamed on Peacock since it was streaming at the same time) so they could see their favorite video game make its way to the big screen (or their TVs). While fans of the video game enjoyed the first movie, I thought it was fairly entertaining, even though I really didn’t understand most of the video game references. So, let’s get into “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.”

In the sequel, one year has passed since the supernatural nightmare at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Former security guard Mike has kept the truth from his 11 year old sister, Abby, concerning the fate of her animatronic friends.

When Abby sneaks out to reconnect with Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy, she sets into motion a terrifying series of events that reveal dark secrets about the true origins of Freddy’s.

When the first movie was released, it showed that the movie is critic-proof - initial critic reviews weren’t that great and general audiences (mainly fans of the game) enjoyed it. And, it’s the same thing for the sequel - terrible critic reviews but favorable audience reactions. So, while I really don’t know anything about the video game series (or FNaF for short), it can be a flawed yet fun watch for the most part.

“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” delivers more animatronic action, more scares that can be both effective and not so effective and a deeper dive into the game/movie lore. There are also quite a few fan service moments scattered throughout the sequel that franchise-loyal audiences will surely enjoy!

The sequel’s detailed animatronics are easily one of the best aspects of this video game sequel adaptation. Created once again by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, they did an

amazing job bringing to life the “toy” and “withered” animatronics with such intricate detail, while also contributing to the visual appeal and creepy atmosphere.

Another highlight of this sequel that I really liked is The Marionette. The Marionette character, well, puppet, has a unique and creepy design that even non-fans would think is really memorable. The character really stands out among the animatronics and also plays a pivotal role in the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” lore.

There’s a rather memorable moment in the movie where the Vanessa character has a really creepy nightmare about her killer father (William Afton) that adds a bit of intensity to the movie and is sadly the only time we really get to see Mathew Lillard, who actually steals the show in just about any role he portrays (including the limited screentime he has in this one).

Now, while this sequel can be a bit fun and entertaining, it can also be lacking in some departments. Even though the scares are a bit bigger than the first movie, a good part of the movie heavily relies on some cheap jump scares and doesn’t really have enough dark moments. But, since it’s rated PG-13, the potential for genuine horror is a tad limited.

There’s also a few times that a few of the characters (especially the Spectral Scoopers characters) behave illogically. There is one of the Spectral Scoopers who ends up falling into some water that’s almost waist deep and they can easily climb out even if they were a little shocked - and, of course that character did not last long (slight spoiler).

Despite the sequel being flawed, it can still be a bit of fun. “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” is a prime example of a movie made specifically for its existing fanbase. Also make sure to stick around during the credits to see where a potential third movie can go. And, even though I was a little bit mixed about this movie, I am still kind of curious to see where a potential “Five Nights at Freddy’s 3” can go.

Cast: Josh Hutcherson (Mike); Piper Rubio (Abby); Elizabeth Lail (Vanessa); Freddy Carter (Michael); Wayne Knight (Mr. Berg); McKenna Grace (Lisa); David Andrew Calvillo (Rob); Teo Briones (Alex); Audrey Lynn-Marie (Charlotte); Skeet Ulrich (Henry); Matthew Lillard (William Afton).

Writer/director: Scott Cawthon (writer) (Five Nights at Freddy’s; also created the video game series); Emma Tammi (director) (Five Nights at Freddy’s).

MPA: Rated PG-13 for violent content, terror, and some language   (runtime 104 minutes)

Make sure to check my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook to see some fun trivia bits about this movie (along with the other films I reviewed for this edition) and to see what I am planning for the Christmas Eve edition, which will consist of more holiday reviews! I will have more reviews of upcoming new releases for the Dec. 31 edition so make sure to stay tuned! 

• Like Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), Jim Henson's Creature Shop provided the animatronics for the movie.

• With a budget of $51 million, this marks the most expensive Blumhouse production to date, surpassing Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), which had a $20 million budget.

• In the movie, withered Foxy is not fooled by the Freddy mask. This reflects the gameplay of the second game.