Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is for the fans.
The movie, released in theaters in December and a sequel to the 2023 original, has an 88 percent fan score with a 13 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, a worse score from critics than the first installment but a better fan score.
The large disconnect between the ratings is due to the fact that FNAF 2 is not for the average moviegoer. It’s for FNAF fans.
It is not a good movie in the traditional sense, but it is an incredibly enjoyable one for someone who loves FNAF.
The movie is filled with Easter eggs that FNAF fans will notice, but that will go unnoticed by the average viewer. These Easter eggs enhance it for me, although I understand that most people have no clue what they mean or what their significance is.
A highlight are the animatronics, created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and they look amazing. The original, withered, toy versions of the animatronics looked incredibly life-like and terrifying, and they were extremely faithful to the in-game versions.
While not interesting or important to the critic, a faithful representation of in-game characters will greatly increase the viewing experience for the fan. With a litany of bad movie adaptations of famous games, it’s amazing when a film studio actually tries to understand and work with the source material.
While the acting isn’t Oscar-worthy, the performances of Matthew Lillard (William Afton) and Skeet Ulrich (Henry Emily) are high points for me. As a fan of the original Scream, it was exciting to see both men in another movie together despite them not interacting.
Josh Hutcherson (Mike Schmidt) is a good actor, but he isn’t at his best here — although his performance is still enjoyable.
Another highlight is the scares, with Blumhouse definitely pushing the movie’s PG-13 rating. With multiple dead bodies — each with gruesome deaths — and a fair amount of swearing, it’s surprising that they are able to get away with a PG-13 rating. It doesn’t feel like a PG-13 movie; instead, it is closer to a soft R, and children under 13 definitely shouldn’t watch the movie.
The Marionette is the scariest part of the movie, and with her power of possession and long limbs, I was genuinely scared when she was on screen. FNAF 2 is much scarier than the first, and I actually jumped out of my seat numerous times.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 isn’t Best Picture material, but it’s enjoyable for people who love FNAF.
