The popular video game Five Nights at Freddy’s became a movie in 2023, and the ending strongly hinted at a follow-up, showing the filmmakers expected it would be successful. They were right – the movie did well in theaters, and now Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is scheduled for release in 2025. However, early reviews from critics have been quite negative.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 continues the story a year after the first film, bringing back Piper Rubio as Abby Schmidt, alongside returning cast members Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, and Matthew Lillard. New to the series is Skeet Ulrich, playing Henry Emily, who, according to the game’s backstory, co-created Fazbear Entertainment with William Afton (played by Lillard). However, the sequel hasn’t been well-received; Eric Eisenberg of TopMob gave it a 1.5 out of 5 star rating, calling it a new low for the franchise.
From the start, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 has been disappointing, and it unfortunately fails to meet even modest expectations. The game is largely uninteresting, relying mostly on predictable and repetitive jump scares for any excitement. However, the biggest problem is the weak storytelling, which lacks a smooth flow and fails to develop its characters in a meaningful way.
Josh Oller from AV Club believes this sequel is a complete failure, pointing out that director Emma Tammi still struggles to create genuinely scary or shocking moments. He gave the film a failing grade.
The movie feels more like a pizza commercial than a horror film, and it doesn’t really acknowledge its genre until someone dies. However, even those scenes don’t have much impact, leaving the impressive creatures created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop feeling pointless. Instead of showcasing these creations, the film focuses heavily on referencing the video game it’s based on with props and hidden details. Ironically, the characters themselves seem embarrassed by the silly origins of the game.
Matt Donato of IGN wonders if even diehard Scott Cawthorn fans will be able to defend this bare-minimum video game adaptation. It lacks enthusiasm in everything it attempts, Donato writes, saying it’s time to “pull the plug, reboot the system.” The critic gives the movie an “Awful” 3 out of 10, writing:
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 unfortunately sets a low bar for sequels, video game movies, and introductory horror films. The creator, Cawthon, gets too caught up in the complicated backstory of the series, revealing details at confusing or unhelpful moments. Director Tammi doesn’t bring anything new or exciting to the project. While the animatronic characters are impressively designed, it’s hardly enough to save a film where everything else is remarkably bland and uninspired.
In a review for SlashFilm, BJ Colangelo gave the movie a 4 out of 10, praising the impressive creature work from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and noting the film really comes alive when the action moves to the security office. However, Colangelo felt the weak script ultimately held the movie back, and suggested Blumhouse consider a different screenwriter – someone other than Scott Cawthon – for the planned third film. The review continues with further details.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 has some truly great, scary moments – about fifteen minutes worth that really capture the feel of the games. However, the movie’s story is confusing and even more complicated than the original games. It relies heavily on things only fans will understand instead of explaining things clearly, and some storylines just don’t go anywhere. Despite this, fans will likely love it anyway, but honestly, viewers deserve a better story.
Aiden Kelley from Collider praised FNAF 2, giving it a 6/10 and stating it’s a significant improvement over the first film, being both scarier and more enjoyable. He noted the filmmakers addressed key issues with the original – a lack of genuine scares and an overly serious storyline. Kelley elaborated further:
The original game needed some improvements, and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 delivers. While it’s not a huge leap forward, the sequel definitely aims for more scares than the first game, mostly relying on sudden, loud jump scares. These aren’t for everyone, but jump scares have always been a part of what makes this series scary.
Critics agree that the Five Nights at Freddy’s movies have a very dedicated fanbase, meaning the latest film is sure to draw crowds despite receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews. Currently, it has a low 12% score on Rotten Tomatoes. (In fact, my own teenager is seeing it in theaters right now!)
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 hits the big screen on Friday, December 5.
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2025-12-05 17:11