Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 review: Fan service can’t save this sequel

We’ve seen some strong movie sequels this year, like Zootopia 2, but unfortunately, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 isn’t one of the better ones – it’s closer to the disappointing side, along with films like Wicked: For Good.

Even if you’re new to the original Five Nights at Freddy’s games, it’s clear that the second installment respects its roots and aims to please fans who have been with the series for a long time.

It’s not surprising this film is a sequel, considering the first one came out in theaters and on Peacock at the same time. To be honest, if Universal had released ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ exclusively in theaters, it likely would have earned even more than its already substantial $291 million, and we’d probably be seeing multiple sequels announced right now. It looks like they’re taking things one step at a time for now.

Scott Cawthon, the creator of Five Nights at Freddy’s, wrote and produced the sequel, which is surprising given the film’s issues. It’s strange to think about those involved realizing the game’s story didn’t translate well to the screen, especially for a movie that seems afraid to try anything new.

This movie completely avoids anything frightening from the original games, aiming for a younger, family-friendly audience. It falls into a common trend where mainstream horror either gets overly complicated or becomes overly simplistic, lacking any real depth.

There’s a moment when Abby, played by Piper Rubio, playfully calls her brother Mike (Josh Hutcherson) “cheesy,” and it briefly felt like she was talking directly to the audience.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 review: What’s it about?

It’s been a year since everything that happened at Freddy’s, and I still miss Freddy, Chica, and Bonnie like crazy. I keep thinking back to the good times we had. My older brother, Mike, knows what really happened to them, but he’s struggling with how to tell me the truth. It’s like he’s trying to protect me, but it just makes me feel even more lost and confused.

He’s also beginning a romantic relationship with Vanessa Shelly (Elizabeth Lail), who first appeared in the original movie. She’s still working through difficult experiences from her childhood and her complicated relationship with her father, William Afton (Matthew Lillard), the creator of the animatronic characters.

The new installment explores the history of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, revealing a hidden murder that continues to affect Vanessa today.

Dealing with trauma

Cawthon tries to add genuine emotional depth to the story, particularly through Vanessa’s difficult experiences. This approach isn’t unique to his work; recent horror hits like the 2022 ‘Scream’ film also explored similar themes.

Sam Carpenter (played by Melissa Barrera) is haunted by the ghost of her father, ironically portrayed by Skeet Ulrich—who also starred in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Similar to the 2022 Scream film, it tries to delve into family history and the effects of trauma. Like Smile, despite any imperfections, the story aims for meaningful emotional exploration.

Five Nights at Freddy’s doesn’t have much depth. While the actress tries, her performance feels similar to Dakota Johnson in roles outside of her stronger projects, like Materialists.

Although Scott Cawthon deserves praise for building the world of Five Nights at Freddy’s, his writing for the sequel feels uninspired. The script relies too heavily on predictable horror clichés, and could benefit from more originality and unexpected twists.

The movie might have been held back by its PG-13 rating, but it probably wouldn’t have been significantly improved with an R rating, given the people who made it.

Does Five Nights at Freddy’s need an R rating to be good?

While not all horror needs to be extremely graphic, it’s often hard for horror movies to earn a PG-13 rating. Recently, Lights Out, Happy Death Day, and Split have managed it well, but many others don’t feel scary enough to truly qualify as horror.

The jump scares in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 are really jarring because of how loud they are. While most attacks happen outside of the player’s view, they don’t offer much satisfying detail or impact.

As a big fan, it’s tough to say, but it feels like Scott Cawthon really loved his Five Nights at Freddy’s games too much. Watching the movie adaptation of FNaF 2, it just doesn’t quite work, and I think that might be because he was so attached to the original idea that it didn’t translate well to film.

Okay, so the game itself has potential – the idea of playing through security camera footage is genuinely creepy. But honestly, the scares are pretty spaced out. You get a little jump scare every now and then, but it’s not consistent enough to fill a movie that’s almost two hours long. It just doesn’t feel like there’s enough happening to justify that length.

Turning that idea into a movie needs a compelling story, but Five Nights at Freddy’s doesn’t quite deliver on that front.

Abandoned places are naturally creepy, and a location like a Chuck E. Cheese is ideal for a horror game. However, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 doesn’t fully utilize this potential. The animatronics are more frightening when they’re functioning in their original setting, rather than simply being in an abandoned building.

Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail’s relationship is messy

Honestly, even Mike and Vanessa’s whole dynamic feels a bit off to me. And there was this one line Josh Hutcherson delivered – something about someone needing to get it together – that just felt really strange and out of place. It didn’t quite land right, you know?

Many fans seem to misinterpret the relationships in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. The connection between Mike and Abby is the most realistic, likely because Mike is an older brother looking after his younger sister. Mike’s friendship with Jeremiah (Theodus Crane) could also be considered noteworthy, despite Jeremiah not being in the game much.

How do you misuse Mckenna Grace?

The biggest flaw in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is how it underutilizes the talent of Mckenna Grace. She’s a rising star who recently demonstrated her acting ability in the film Regretting You.

In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Grace plays Lisa, a paranormal investigator. Teo Briones plays the security guard who shows her crew around the first Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, and his performance—in appearance and mannerisms—is strikingly similar to Colin Cowherd.

At first glance, the concept of ghost hunters exploring Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza seems promising. However, their parts in the story feel surprisingly minor, especially given their connection to Grace.

Good news for fans: she’ll be back in Scream 7 in just a few months. Hopefully, this new horror movie will be a better experience than her previous role in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.

It’s great to have an actor with a recognizable name like Josh Hutcherson – known from the Hunger Games and now The Beekeeper – starring in the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie. His involvement is likely a good sign for the series.

Honestly, I haven’t seen a huge leap in his acting since his Hunger Games days. He and Rubio have a decent connection, but the way the story is written makes them feel more like siblings than a romantic pair, which is a little strange. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t quite feel like the chemistry you’d expect.

Hutcherson occasionally shows the potential that once made him a contender for the Spider-Man role. However, at 33, he seems miscast as a teenage superhero in a film like Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which was already facing challenges.

Should you watch Five Nights at Freddy’s 2?

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 isn’t relying on positive reviews to decide its future. Whether or not a third movie gets made will likely depend on how well the audience receives it.

Cawthon included several references to the original games, but trying to recreate that classic gameplay in the sequel didn’t quite work.

Emma Tammi is directing the second Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, but the series might not be a good fit for her skills. While she’s worked on horror films before, this franchise seems to lack the intensity needed for her to create a truly frightening experience.

However, she isn’t without fault when it comes to the movie’s shortcomings. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 relies heavily on predictable jump scares that aren’t very effective. The film’s direction is also lackluster, even for a horror movie aimed at a younger audience.

Chuck E. Cheese eventually stopped using its animatronic characters, recognizing it was time for a change. Maybe Universal should consider doing the same with the Five Nights at Freddy’s series.

Grade: D+

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will be released on Dec. 5.

2025-12-04 21:42