Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (2025) is a silly mess
Directed by Emma Tammi, Written by Scott Cawthon
Starring Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard
Plus Wayne Knight and Skeet Ulrich having fun as new to the series
Let's be honest, you're gonna go see this or already have if you are so inclined. Same if you are not. And that's fine. The crew behind Five Nights at Freddy's 2, the sequel to the 2023 film, made this film not to show you a deeper part of the human condition. It's a fun "baby's first horror" video game adaptation created for young kids on sleepovers to watch after the parents go to bed. Any critical eye on this movie misses that point and the enjoyment of seeing a silly, plotless mess done by people who seem to care. Anyway, let's criticize it.
It's been time enough for Abby (Rubio) to grow taller and her big brother and guardian Mike (Hutcherson) to have done something with himself in the small town named something sometime around the 1990s. Mike and Vanessa (Lail) have grown closer, but she's still haunted by her murderous father (Lillard) who created the violent animatronics whilst killing children. Abby misses her friends, the murderous animatronics with the souls of children, but she won't for long after the vengeful Marionette from the original location is freed. People die, jumps are scared, and a science fair is overcome.
Without spoiling too much just yet, pretty much everything as a story is halfbaked almost by design. With light googling, you can find out there's a third movie on the way, and this movie knows it. Characterization and plot are drawn out and almost incoherent while motivations and characters mimic the first movie's twists with lesser quality. The effects and horror stand out pretty well with jump scares that are damn solid. The Marionette effects in particular made me smile more than once as both creepy and sophisticated. When a character turns their back in this movie, something behind them glides and haunts the screen. The lore heavy easter eggs may delight fans along with a good sequence that mimics the video game, but for anyone on the outside like me it was just fun to hear fans enjoy themselves in a theater.
I have to say that I am looking forward to a third part in the series. This had just enough of the old school silly horror I grew up with. No need to go to the theater, as I said before this works just as well while laughing under a blanket on the couch.
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