Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2025) Review

There’s no argument: Five Nights at Freddy’s works far better as a game than it does as a film. The idea of cute-looking, murderous animatronic mascots stalking dark corridors is unsettling enough when you’re the one holding the controller, nervously watching the security cameras tick down. But sitting in a cinema watching it play out, is another matter.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 picks up soon after the events of the first film, though it begins with a flashback set in the early eighties. A frightened child chases a kidnapper through the brightly coloured corridors of a pizzeria that looks suspiciously like a nightmare version of Chuck E. Cheese. The sequence works well. There’s a sense of disorientation in the way the camera moves from cheerful party rooms into shadowy back corridors. For a while you think the sequel might have found a sharper edge.

Fast-forward to present day and Josh Hutcherson returns as Mike, still trying to hold together a life that has been thoroughly complicated by haunted robots and unresolved trauma. Piper Rubio’s Abby remains the emotional centre, a child who sees the animatronics less as monsters and more as misunderstood companions. Elizabeth Lail’s Vanessa drifts through the story carrying a great deal of psychological baggage (again), which the film gestures toward without fully exploring.

The plot, to the extent that it matters, involves paranormal investigators, returning villains, spectral children and a new wave of animatronic chaos triggered by the vengeful spirit of a murdered girl. The film seems slightly overwhelmed by its own mythology, piling on lore and Easter eggs with the enthusiasm of a kid emptying a toy box onto the floor.

As you might expect, the film works best when it embraces its videogame origins. There are times when characters consult maps, passwords or walkie-talkies that genuinely feel game-like. You can almost imagine a player navigating the environment, trying to stay one step ahead of the clanking mechanical threat.

Unfortunately though, the horror rarely escalates beyond mild jolts. Director Emma Tammi relies heavily on jump scares accompanied by aggressive bursts of sound. They work occasionally. More often they feel like a substitute for tension than the result of it. The animatronics remain fascinating though. Designed by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, they have a tactile quality that other digital monsters rarely achieve. When the camera focuses on the scuffed paint and twitching eyebrows, you notice that craftsmanship.

The cast plays it straight, which works in the film’s favour. Rubio again steals scenes through sheer conviction. Wayne Knight turns up as an unpleasant robotics teacher and appears to enjoy himself enormously. Matthew Lillard makes a brief appearance that reminds you how entertaining this franchise can be when it embraces its darker absurdity.

Watching the film on UHD the fine details are especially noticeable on the animatronics themselves. Scratches, metallic textures and fabric seams are more apparent than they are on standard formats. The Dolby Vision grade helps the neon lighting schemes pop nicely, even if darker scenes occasionally flatten into murky shadows.

The Dolby Atmos track is solid rather than spectacular. Mechanical footsteps and environmental creaks circulate through the surround channels with pleasing subtlety.

The extras include a handful of short featurettes focusing on the cast, the creature work and the production design. They are enjoyable if a little lightweight.

As a film, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 feels strangely overstuffed yet curiously weightless. Fans of the games will likely enjoy spotting references and revisiting Freddy and company. For everyone else, it is an occasionally entertaining curiosity.

Movie Rating:

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 trailer