MINOR SPOILERS TO FNAF 1 AND 2
As someone who is practically allergic to horror, I was hesitant to watch the Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (FNAF 2) movie when it came out on December 5, 2025. After all, the franchise is notorious for its jumpscares, unsettling ambience, and their trademark cast of animatronics: creepy, animal-esque robot suits that kill people for fun. Despite these obvious signs, I decided to go anyway, and it turned out to be quite an interesting movie.
FNAF 2 picks up from the ending of its prequel, FNAF 1, which concluded with the defeat of the child murderer William Afton. We follow the same protagonist Mike Schmidt, his younger sister Abby, and Vanessa Shelly as they try to leave Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and its horrors behind. However, Afton’s legacy lives on; the story introduces another franchise location for Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, and with it comes a new set of “toy” animatronics. These are controlled by the Marionnette: a vengeful, possessed puppet who wants revenge on all parents. Awakened in the course of FNAF 2, the animatronics clash with the main characters yet again, putting at stake the fate of thousands of lives.
One of the best aspects of the film is the visuals. Each location is well crafted, whether it's from the game or a new design, so that the world fits together seamlessly in the background. Additionally, despite the use of CGI, animatronic designs look realistic in the environment and are thematically consistent with the source material. In particular, the Marionnette was implemented exceptionally well; its creepy appearance contributed to a significant sense of presence, fitting for a horror antagonist.
One of the major issues with the film is the horror, or lack thereof. Notably, jumpscares are a staple of the franchise, so it makes sense that they’re also used extensively in the movie. However, their usage was way too frequent, and at certain points were practically non-stop. This problem became apparent some time into the movie, especially around the supposed climax. All the jumpscares meant tension couldn’t be built up at all, leading to many scenes losing their horror. Personally, I still got spooked quite a few times, but for horror veterans, this movie won’t be that scary.
An important factor of any movie, and another part FNAF 2 fumbled on, was the writing. The dialogue felt a bit dry, and most certainly could’ve been improved for better effect. Furthermore, characters often acted out of character to fit the storyline, which was especially frustrating in high-stakes scenes.
“Many characters acted irrationally and didn't use the items they had well, when they had been characterized as smart and quick thinkers,” said Ishan Singavarapu (10).
Generally, the film mainly appeals to fans of the game series, who are familiar with the story already and are willing to overlook flaws. However, this comes at the detriment of viewers who are unfamiliar with the franchise. The movie ends up with a plot that isn’t explained very well, as screentime is spent juggling between referencing the game series and advancing the story.
In general, FNAF 2 doesn’t try to do anything new as a horror movie. It sticks to being an adaptation of the game franchise, not introducing any new themes into the already developed FNAF identity. In fact, many of the issues are carried over from the prequel movie; the flawed horror and plot, as well as the appeal to long-time fans rather than newcomers, are notable examples. However, despite the criticism, this can still be a fun movie to watch in theaters.
“I didn't expect good writing or acting or anything, just an enjoyable movie that would be cool to watch, which I think it delivered,” said Singavarapu (10).