Directed by Emma Tammi and based on the popular video game series of the same name by Scott Cawthon, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 takes place one year after the supernatural nightmare at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and follows former security guard Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson), who has kept the truth from his 11-year-old sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), 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 origin of Freddy’s.
As someone who has been a long-time fan of the FNAF series, I thought the first film was a fun and decently well-made adaptation that works mostly for fans even if it doesn’t work for everyone else. The film did well enough financially to earn itself a sequel that allowed the filmmakers a chance to adapt the next game that further explores the dark and crazy lore of FNAF that made the series so investing for many people. I was interested to see how this film would turn out to see if it would end up being a major improvement upon the first film and perhaps surprise me with its own takes on the elements of the second game.
After getting the chance to see the film early, I can honestly say that I had a really good time with this one and that I may even prefer it a bit over the first one. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is an absolutely bonkers yet fun sequel that starts off slow but then kicks things into high gear by delivering great scares, twists, fan service, easter eggs and brutal kills. It’s a more narratively improved and streamlined story compared to the first film but it does still feel like an adaptation aimed more towards fans of the series rather than general audiences. Critics, reviewers and people who didn’t like the first film are more than likely not going to like this one either but people who are absolutely in love with the series are guaranteed to be mostly satisfied.
The returning characters from the first film are given a lot more development and are once again given great performances by their respective cast members that fully commit to the fun and horror of this film’s story. Josh Hutcherson does a great job reprising a more evolved Mike Schmidt, who has been able to overcome his past demons and is trying to move on from the nightmare at Freddy’s. But just because he is done with Freddy’s doesn’t mean Freddy’s is done with him as he once is again forced into action to protect his sister from a new threat in the form of new animatronics that won’t hesitate to kill him. It was fun seeing how his heroic journey continues in this film while also getting to see him embrace elements of the second game in live action.
Piper Rubio does a excellent job reprising Abby Schmidt as she recaptures the purity, humor and innocence of her character, though is clearly affected by the events of the first film. She is driven to do things that no sane person would ever do but given that she is a kid that is being manipulated by otherworldly forces it’s understandable why she does what she does in this film. I will say that if she wasn’t as deeply traumatized by the events of the first film then she’s more than likely going to be traumatized by the events of this one with some of the crazy stuff that happens.
But for me the most improved and developed character amongst the returning faces is easily Vanessa Shelly, reprised amazingly by Elizabeth Lail. Now revealed to be the daughter of William Afton, the one who killed all the kids at Freddy’s, we get a deeper look into her past and her psyche, showing a truly damaged person who is unable to escape what is haunting her as more secrets about her life come to the surface and threaten everyone she cares for. I wasn’t the biggest fan of her awkward performance and writing in the first film but it’s clear the filmmakers took the criticism people had given about her character and decided to vastly improve her, making her a very compelling character that almost overshadows Mike as the lead. By the end of the film, a major turning point for her character happens that has potential to explore her in future installments as she is set on a dark path that is likely going to have immense consequences.
As for Matthew Lillard’s William Afton, he does not play the role of the main villain in this film like he did in the previous but his presence is felt throughout the entirety of this one. The legacy of his horrific actions are what cause the events of this film to go into effect and he also acts as a figure of mental torment for Vanessa. Lillard plays his part to perfection but anyone who knows Afton’s story in the games will know he is not done playing this role yet and that he won’t stay gone forever, which is something hugely teased in this film for the potential third installment that focuses on his Spring-trap identity.
As for the new characters played by the new cast members, it is hard to talk about any of them due to major spoilers but I can say the most notable standouts among them were Audrey Lynn-Marie, Skeet Ulrich, Freddy Carter, McKenna Grace and Wayne Knight, who I have not seen in a mainstream film in years but was such a fun addition to this film as a love to hate character.
The terrifying animatronics in this film are all pulled straight from the second game and are brought to life beautifully through amazing practical effects that were clearly given great care and passion, just like in the first film. And just like in the game there are 10 animatronics that all have their distinct features, abilities and personalities that are guaranteed to scare the hell out of you when you least expect it. The toy versions of Freddy, Chica and Bonnie also get voice performances from Kellen Goff, Megan Fox and MatPat respectively and they all do a really great job performance wise for each of them.
But by far the most standout animatronic of the lot is the Marionette, who ends up playing a supremely significant role in the story despite being notably absent from the marketing. What the filmmakers did with their take on the Marionette is radically different from the game version but honestly I’d say this version is far more terrifying as a result of the changes. I can’t go into exactly why that is due to major spoilers but let’s just say people who were scared of the Marionette in the games are going to be further traumatized by the Marionette in this adaptation.
What made this film feel like an improvement upon the first was mainly in the narrative as this one felt more streamlined, less complicated and more balanced tone-wise with the humor and the horror. In fact, I’ll even say this film felt more darker compared to the first film, especially with its shockingly brutal kills that push the PG-13 rating to its limits, especially when it ends up showing actual blood and gore with some kills. While I still feel this film should have gone fully R-rated it was great to see them increase the brutality of the kills in this film compared to the first which felt rather tame.
The film starts off with a really damn good cold opening before going a bit slow in its first act that shows where our characters are since we last saw them, and then kicks things into high gear when the horror begins, getting increasingly bonkers as the film progresses. I certainly had a lot of fun watching the crazy directions this adaptation took and how much awesome lore they were able to adapt from the games, including major references to future installments that fans will immediately recognize.
With all of that said I don’t think these various improvements will be enough for some people because once again this is an adaptation that is clearly aimed for fans of the series rather than general audiences so anyone who didn’t like the first film are more than likely not going to like this one either. That said I think people who aren’t super fans of the games but at least liked the first film are probably going to like this one more due to the improvements on the narrative and other elements while people who are super fans of this film are absolutely going to adore it. The ending, mid credits scene and post credit tease all set the stage for a very likely third installment that is going to go even darker with its tone and dive further into FNAF lore that I certainly am excited to see play out especially for the fun directions it can take.
The technical elements of this film also feel massively upgraded this time around not just for the animatronics and practical effects but also the practical sets, sound design, cinematography and music. The success of the first film obviously allowed the filmmakers to go bigger with the technical side of this adaptation, which works in its favor given that this is set in the original location of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza instead of the franchise location that we saw in the first. Every single element and detail from the location in the second game is brought to life perfectly in this adaptation, showcasing amazing set pieces that were built with great care while also adding their own spin on things to make the atmosphere more haunting.
The first film had some solid cinematography but I can honestly say the cinematography for this film was far superior as we get some truly memorable visuals that had much more style and flair compared to the first film. The technical elements not only made the atmosphere of this film feel more chill-inducing but it also made some of the jump scares feel more effective as I found myself jumping way more than I did with the first film.
As for music, we have the Newton Brothers back to do the score and once again they do an amazing job with it truly making you feel absorbed into the world of Freddy’s on screen and making the horror scenes even more effective, just like in the first film.
This sequel may not be perfect but it is certainly an improvement upon its predecessor that I had a lot of fun with and I could see be a monstrous hit with the fanbase. If you didn’t enjoy the first film and are not a fan of FNAF lore then chances are this may not be the film for you but for those who liked or loved the first film, you are in for a special treat. I am going to give Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 a B = 86.
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