Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy return to their murderous ways in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 with a new animatronic villain in an unintentionally hilarious sequel, and this video game follow-up will have you laughing out loud for the wrong reasons. Scenes meant to inspire terror make no sense whatsoever and have the exact opposite effect. Minor chuckles can somewhat be expected with video game subject material meant for teens, but outright guffaws are a big surprise in a truly baffling plot. That said, a smattering of jump scares and watching an especially despicable character get their comeuppance helps to alleviate the inane narrative.
The story begins in 1982 with a children’s birthday party at the original Freddy Fazbear’s pizzeria. Charlotte (Audrey Lynn-Marie), an outcast not liked by the other kids, waits diligently by the stage for her favorite character to make its entrance. But a young Vanessa (Miriam Spumpkin) beckons her back to the fold before something creepy catches her attention: another child is being lured into the back by someone in a creepy rabbit costume. Vanessa warns her not to follow, but a curious Charlotte ventures forward.
20 years later, and a year after the events of the first film, Mike (Josh Hutcherson) prepares a now 11-year-old Abby (Piper Rubio) for school. She misses her animatronic “friends” and implores her brother to help fix them. Mike gently deflects the request as he sports a tie for dinner with the recovered Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), who’s still haunted by dreams of her evil father, William Afton (Matthew Lillard). In the background at Mike’s house, a television show about paranormal investigators plays.
Abby tries to build a robot in her science class for an upcoming competition on the day of the town’s “Faz Fest,” a carnival inspired by the now resurgent characters. Meanwhile, at the shuttered prime location, an impostor (Freddy Carter) calling himself Mike welcomes Lisa (Mckenna Grace) and her paranormal hunters. The team enters the hellish Disneyland with strange marionette figures lining the walls.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 does a swift job of catching neophytes up to speed. Vanessa’s back and Mike wants to forget the sinister past, but moving on isn’t easy with William in Vanessa’s head and Abby pining for lost playmates (aka the souls of murdered children trapped in animatronics). Generic horror-trope lunacy compels Mike to take Abby to Freddy’s in the hopes of closure — this is an obviously bad idea and sets in motion a new chain of events that ensnares everyone. But the rules of the game have changed with the diabolical Marionette (aka the Puppet) now pulling the strings. Its ability to possess human hosts unlocks new possibilities and a deadlier killing spree.
Director Emma Tammi and screenwriter Scott Cawthon, the games’ creator, take illogical paths after a decent opening. The characters then bizarrely separate and undertake their own incredibly dangerous missions. The idea that Mike would be unaware of Abby’s whereabouts while she gallivants to the new Freddy’s is completely unbelievable. It takes an inordinate amount of screen time for him to get a clue and understand what she’s been doing. The filmmakers engineer a contrived situation where Mike has to swoop in for a rescue that never should have happened. He’s been through the wringer for his sister — she would never be left to her own devices. It’s even worse when Mike doesn’t believe when she hints about being able to contact her “friends.” How can it all be in her imagination after the crazy stuff they just went through?
Vanessa’s actions make Mike look like a genius; her character has huge reveals that drop like grenades every 20 minutes, and she’s got more skeletons in her closet than a mortuary school. The entire film hinges on her not being truthful and honest. You’d think she would be forthcoming and air all the dirty laundry when the slaughter erupts, but she remains reticent when lives are at stake. There’s no justification for such behavior, and it’s utterly irrational when she supposedly cares for Mike and Abby. Lail is a competent actress, but Vanessa is poorly written and lacks any kind of foresight.
Mike and Vanessa battling the Marionette and its minions is pure comedy. One scene in particular is so egregiously silly, you can’t help but cackle like a hyena. It is absolutely critical to the film’s resolve and somehow comically absurd, and that’s definitely not what Tammi and Cawthon intended. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is meant to be a horror experience, so belly laughs shouldn’t have been on the menu. The climax needed a different edit to rectify this major problem that derails the film.
To be fair, there are a couple of decent scares, so it’s not a total loss in that regard, but not enough to warrant the price of admission. Five Nights at Freddy’s has a massive following, so it may be critic-proof. You can just read the poster to see new cast members (a Scream veteran), for example, that lays the groundwork for more carnage to come. I pray it’s not as funny.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is a Blumhouse and Scott Cawthon production. It will be released theatrically on Dec. 5 from Universal Pictures.
- Release Date
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December 5, 2025
- Director
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Emma Tammi
- Writers
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Scott Cawthon
- Prequel(s)
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Five Nights at Freddy’s