‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ movie review: The toys are out to play again

There is something inherently cheerful about a horror film in December. After Emma Tammi’s Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) was a gargantuan hit despite being savaged by critics, the possibility of a sequel was strong.

Based on Scott Cawthon’s eponymous video game about a security guard trying to survive attacks from murderous animatronics for five nights or levels, Five Nights at Freddy’s featured Josh Hutcherson as the troubled security guard, Mike, fighting personal demons alongside the cheerfully demented toys.

Mike’s brother was taken as a child, and Mike blames himself for it. He is caring for his younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio) while a scheming aunt tries to take her away. After being sacked from every job, Mike starts work as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, an abandoned pizza parlour. The sequel, also written by Cawthon and directed by Tammi, begins a year after the events of the first film.

Mike seems to have laid his demons to rest while Abby is also well adjusted and going to school, and her tales of what happened at the pizzeria the year before seem to have earned her a spot at the cool lunch table. She misses her animatronics “friends” though Mike has not told her the truth about the homicidal critters.

Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), the local police officer knows a lot about Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, as she is the daughter of the serial killer owner, William Afton (Matthew Lillard). Vanessa helped Mike the first time around and is haunted by her past.

The plot is all over the place with angry parents, angrier children, furious animatronics, raging spirits and irate science teachers. Ghost hunters come looking for genuine haunts and you can guess how that is going to end.

The dialogues are delightfully predictable (one can easily finish whatever dire proclamation the evil doers are grinding out) as are the shots — I am sure everyone knew some awful creature was lurking behind the fridge door!

A still from ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’
| Photo Credit:
Universal Pictures

Toy Freddy (Kellen Goff), Toy Chica (Megan Fox), and Toy Bonnie (Matthew “MatPat” Patrick) are happily scary, clumping along on their great metal feet. The early 2000s setting, with Wi-Fi and connectivity carrying a patina of shiny futurism, feels seductively cosy.

Having another Michael (Freddy Carter) as a security guard was slightly confusing until one figured out it was another branch of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.

While Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio reprise their roles, newcomers include Skeet Ulrich as the father of a murder victim, Wayne Knight as Abby’s mean science teacher, and Mckenna Grace as a paranormal investigator.

Fans of the game would enjoy the film, while those not familiar with the game might be mildly amused by this rather tame horror film.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is currently running in theatres