If there was a critic predisposed to enjoy Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, you’re reading him. I defended Emma Tammi’s critically divisive first adaptation and have long argued against the overblown narrative surrounding video game movie adaptations. So it pains me to say that while Tammi’s sequel has moments that will absolutely thrill the franchise’s devoted fanbase, it stumbles in ways that prevent it from reaching the heights of its predecessor. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 brings back Jim Henson’s Creature Shop for another round of impressively creepy animatronics, but this time they’re working within a story structure that doesn’t quite translate the gaming experience as elegantly as before.
Scott Cawthon, the franchise creator, claims sole screenwriting duties this time (without Tammi or Seth Cuddeback, who shared the job on the first film), and the shift in approach is immediately noticeable. Cawthon pushes Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) and little sister Abby (Piper Rubio) into a reassembly of his 2014 point-and-click survival horror sequel, reopening Freddy Fazbear’s original location. Here, where William Afton (Matthew Lillard) began his killing spree, Abby attempts to reunite with her lost friends—the animatronics possessed by souls of murdered children. What she discovers is far more sinister, unleashing a new threat from the restaurant’s shadows: The Marionette. Afton’s daughter, Vanessa Shelly (Elizabeth Lail), tried to subdue and hide the possessed puppet—but now, inhabited by the soul of Afton’s bravest victim, Charlotte (Audrey Lynn-Marie), it’s vengeful and hunting.
The Animatronics Remain Spectacular
Before diving into the criticisms, let me be abundantly clear: the animatronics are magnificent. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop doubles its presence with the inclusion of “Toy” versions of Freddy’s gang. These sleeker, more metallic iterations stand just as impressive as the fuzzier, more Chuck E. Cheese-style versions we beheld previously, and remain a masterwork of practical effects excellence. Foxy’s “Mangle” form—a failed pull-apart activity experiment—gives a freakish junkyard appearance that’s genuinely unsettling, while The Marionette dangles and flails with a noodle-like uncanniness that brilliantly contrasts with Freddy’s robotic motions. Tammi understands how to bring these not-so-gentle giants to life and does so with larger-than-life appeal that fans will absolutely eat up.
The Newton Brothers’ score deserves equal praise, channeling 8-bit video game soundtracks and cheesy kiddie restaurant tunes into something that feels authentically Five Nights. It’s playful when it needs to be, ominous when the moment calls for it, and consistently captures the franchise’s unique tonal balance.
The Challenge of Adaptation
Here’s where things get complicated. Fazbear fanatics will know precisely what to expect from Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, because Cawthon clearly prioritizes delivering franchise moments over completely reworking his “security guard in a room” gameplay for cinema. Tammi’s working with a screenplay that’s packed with Easter eggs and references—some that land with genuine humor (Hutcherson mocking a discarded Freddy faceplate as a disguise, only for it to work later), and others that feel more like checklist items. The first film was savvier about transforming the sedentary Five Nights play style into feature-length adventure, finding creative ways to expand beyond the office setting. This sequel takes a more literal approach, attempting to translate gameplay elements one-for-one without always considering how they function on screen.
For hardcore fans, this might actually be a feature rather than a bug. The sequel feels like it’s made for the people who’ve spent countless hours with these games, who understand the lore intricacies and appreciate seeing their favorite mechanics brought to life. There’s genuine joy in watching familiar elements materialize—the red and green buttons, Balloon Boy’s appearance, the security camera system—even if the execution doesn’t always serve the broader narrative.
Horror That Relies Too Heavily on One Trick
Tammi and Cawthon strive to provide a more aggressive horror experience, but lean perhaps too heavily on jump scares as their primary tool. Cawthon introduces The Marionette as a genuinely eerie villain that possesses humans and transforms them into bright-eyed demons, and the concept has real potential. Unfortunately, the film overuses this technique to diminishing returns. Jump scares work best as punctuation marks in a longer sentence of sustained tension, but Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 makes them the entire paragraph. By the time we reach the third act, they’ve become predictable rather than startling.
The PG-13 rating constrains what Tammi can show, which means the more intense moments happen off-screen. This is understandable given the franchise’s young fanbase, but it does limit the film’s ability to generate the kind of dread that made certain sequences in the first film so effective.
Performances That Deserve Recognition
What keeps the film watchable through its narrative wobbles is the committed cast. Josh Hutcherson brings genuine warmth to Mike Schmidt, even when the script sends him wandering somewhat aimlessly through the plot. He understands the assignment: be the emotional anchor for an audience that’s here to see animatronic mayhem. Elizabeth Lail works overtime to give Vanessa’s trauma real weight, and while some of her character’s choices strain credibility, Lail’s performance never does. She’s wrestling with complicated family dynamics and guilt, and even when the screenplay doesn’t quite support her, she finds authentic moments.
Piper Rubio’s Abby gets a more substantial arc this time around, even if it includes some odd detours (the science teacher rivalry feels particularly out of place). Rubio has natural charisma and handles the heavier emotional beats with surprising maturity.
The animatronics are magnificent—a masterwork of practical effects that fans will absolutely eat up.
The real fan-service coup is the supporting cast. Skeet Ulrich and Wayne Knight bring welcome genre credentials and character actor gravitas to roles that could have been thankless. Mckenna Grace, always a reliable presence, makes the most of her screen time. And of course, Matthew Lillard’s continued presence as William Afton is pure joy for horror fans who’ve followed his career since Scream. Lillard understands exactly what kind of movie he’s in and calibrates his performance accordingly—part menacing villain, part theatrical showman. His scenes crackle with the kind of energy that reminds you why this franchise connected with audiences in the first place.
Structural Issues and Sequel Setup
The film’s most significant problem is structural. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 feels less like a complete story and more like an extended middle chapter. The Marionette deserves to be a genuinely formidable antagonist, but the film is more interested in setting up future installments than fully developing the threats at hand. Cawthon loads the screenplay with lore reveals and mythology expansion, which fans will appreciate, but it comes at the expense of a satisfying conclusion. The ending arrives abruptly, more interested in its cliffhanger potential than providing closure to the story we’ve been watching.
This approach will work for the devoted fanbase who’s already committed to following the franchise through multiple films. They’ll appreciate the breadcrumbs, the hints at what’s coming, the gradual unveiling of the larger mythology. For more casual viewers, however, it may feel incomplete—like the film is asking you to return for the next installment before it’s earned your investment in this one.
Built for the Fans
Here’s the thing: Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 knows its audience and serves them, even when that means sacrificing broader appeal. This is a film made for the people who’ve spent years piecing together FNAF lore, who debate theories online, who know every Easter egg before they appear on screen. In that sense, it succeeds at being exactly what it sets out to be—a continuation of a franchise that prioritizes fan service and mythology building over traditional narrative structure.
The practical effects work remains exceptional. The animatronics have never looked better, and watching them come to life through puppetry and mechanical ingenuity rather than CGI gives the film a tactile quality that’s increasingly rare. The Creature Shop’s work alone makes the film worth seeing on the big screen, and fans will relish every frame featuring these mechanical monsters.
The cast clearly cares about this material and gives it their all, even when the screenplay doesn’t always support them. There’s genuine affection for these characters and this world evident in every performance, from Hutcherson’s protective older brother to Lail’s conflicted daughter to Lillard’s theatrical villainy.
The Verdict
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is an imperfect sequel that will likely satisfy the franchise’s passionate fanbase while leaving others wanting more. Cawthon’s screenplay adheres closely to the franchise’s complex mythology, sometimes to its detriment, prioritizing lore expansion over narrative cohesion. Tammi does what she can with the material, and her skill with the animatronic sequences remains evident, but the film lacks the tighter focus that made the first movie work.
The outstanding practical effects, the committed performances (especially from the genre veterans in the cast), and The Newton Brothers’ playful score provide genuine pleasures. For fans who love this franchise and want to see their favorite characters and mechanics brought to life with care and impressive craftsmanship, there’s plenty to enjoy here. The film understands what made people fall in love with these games—the atmosphere, the mystery, the creepy-cute animatronics—and delivers those elements with affection and technical skill.
But it’s also a film that struggles with pacing, relies too heavily on repetitive scares, and ends just as it should be building to its climax. It’s a middle chapter that’s more interested in teasing what comes next than fully satisfying in the moment. For the devoted fans, that may be enough. For everyone else, it’s a mixed bag held together by excellent creature work and game performances.
