The much-anticipated sequel, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, following the 2023 horror hit, is facing a barrage of criticism from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
Helmed by director Emma Tammi, the film debuted with early screenings on Thursday before its official release across theaters on Friday. According to the plot summary, “One year has passed since the eerie events at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. The tales of what occurred have morphed into a local legend, culminating in the town’s inaugural Fazfest.
Former security guard Mike, played by Josh Hutcherson, and officer Vanessa, portrayed by Elizabeth Lail, have kept the grim truth from Mike’s younger sister Abby (Piper Rubio) about the fate of her animatronic companions. However, Abby’s secretive visit to see Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy sets off a chilling chain of events, uncovering sinister secrets about Freddy’s origins and awakening a horror that has lain dormant for years.”
The cast of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 also includes Theodus Crane as Jeremiah and Matthew Lillard as William Afton. Newcomers like Freddy Carter, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, and Skeet Ulrich join the ensemble, adding fresh faces to the franchise.
Former security guard Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and police officer Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) have kept the truth from Mike’s 11-year-old sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), concerning the fate of her animatronic friends. But when Abby sneaks out to reconnect with Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, it will set into motion a terrifying series of events, revealing dark secrets about the true origin of Freddy’s, and unleashing a long-forgotten horror hidden away for decades.”
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 also stars Theodus Crane as Jeremiah and Matthew Lillard as William Afton. The movie also features new characters played by Freddy Carter, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace and Skeet Ulrich.
As of the publication of this article, Rotten Tomatoes has not yet assigned a critics’ score to Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, even though 39 reviews have been posted on the review aggregation site. Of the 39 reviews, however, 33 of them are “rotten” and only six are “fresh.”
The RT Popcornmeter score and audience summary are also still pending.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’?
As of the publication of this article, none of the top critics on RT have given Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 a “fresh” review score. Among them is Owen Gleiberman of Variety, who writes in his RT review summary, “A supernatural video-game slasher movie of astonishing clunky crudeness. No, the movie isn’t dumb fun. It’s flat-out bad, maybe even worse than the first film.”
In addition, Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter writes in his RT review summary, “The film’s cast deserves credit, not so much for their performances as their ability to keep a straight face throughout.”
Beatric Loayza of the New York Times isn’t a fan of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, either, writing in her RT review summary, “The story — overworked and drained of tension — is a watered-down cocktail of damaged childhoods and parental neglect, and whatever attempts at humor are mustered (save for the scenes involving the impish Ulrich) land awkwardly.”
Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press also rips the film in his RT review summary, writing, “It’s an incoherent mess, something that, back in the day, would be straight to DVD. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 has an after-school special vibe with no real horror and no real awareness that it should.”
Rated PG-13, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.
