In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, we revisit Mike (Josh Hutcherson), Abby (Piper Rubio), and Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) are trying to move forward after the events of the first film. Abby wants to return to Freddy’s to see her ‘friends’, Mike is trying to get her through what he has assumed is a phase, and Vanessa keeps having nightmares.
Three young sleuths are led to the Freddy’s location by a man claiming to be a security guard and accidentally awaken an animatronic who had been asleep there for 20 years. When this animatronic manages to lure Abby back to Freddy’s, Mike and Vanessa must find a way to save her and their town.
(from left) Toy Freddy, Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), Abby (Piper Rubio) and Mike (Josh Hutcherson) in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, directed by Emma Tammi.
I’m not a FNAF fan. I never played the game and the only thing I knew about the first one was that Matthew Lillard was in it, so I went into this film blind. The first thing I noticed was the dedication on FNAF fans, many of whom came to the screening in full costume, and who got verbally excited at various points in the film when there was (what I assume was) an easter egg or a callback.
Freddy’s 2 leans into the jump scares that I hear are central to the game, so it is exciting that way. Other than that, probably because I’m not familiar with the story or characters, I found myself trying to put pieces together more than anything.
(from left) Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and Balloon Boy in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, directed by Emma Tammi.
The theme of legacy is hinted at in this film – continuing down the path that our parents laid out and breaking free from it. Of course, because this is FNAF, that comes with a lot of trauma. Vanessa is trying to rid herself of her father’s impact on her, and how that is ultimately affecting her relationships. Getting introspective for a second, at my big age, I’m learning that carving my own path is something I’m going to have to keep doing, even just mentally.
FNAF 2 sets up a third movie, which, hopefully will give some new characters introduced in this film more to do. Ultimately, from the reactions I heard in the theatre, FNAF 2 seems to be a treat for fans of the franchise.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is available in theatres on Friday, December 5th, 2025.
