Just as things started to get intriguing, what happened? The credits rolled. While I’m not completely surprised by the cliffhanger ending, I was mildly annoyed by it. Which is not to say that I didn’t enjoy this sequel that somehow managed to walk a fine line between funny and suspenseful. I won’t call it scary, because it’s still a little PG in that regard. However, the story was entertaining, as were the characters, most of which were reprising their roles from the first film. I wasn’t sure that a sequel could break new ground, but given that Five Nights At Freddy’s is both a popular video and book series, I suppose there are many places that the story can go. Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard reprise their roles and are joined by McKenna Grace, Freddy Carter, and Skeet Ulrich, which makes for a surprise Scream reunion. That said, if I am being honest, Ulrich felt criminally underutilized in this project. I expected that he would play a bigger start in the story, and I was really hoping for more interaction between him and Lillard in order to better signify the Scream homage. Well, I suppose there is always the next film, which as stated, is most certainly planned for.
Interesting detail: voicing Chica, the animatronic that Rubio’s Abby was closest to, was Megan Fox. Her involvement in the project was an unexpected surprise. Even more interesting, the return of Corry Williams (aka CoryxKenshin), who made a memorable impression as a cabbie in the first film and reprises that role for the sequel. His appearance this time wasn’t exactly on par with what I remember from the first film, but seeing him added to the continuity and intrigue of the film.
This time around, things pick up a year after the events of the first film. Mike (Hutcherson) seeks to move pass the events at Freddy’s while Abby desires to return to her “friends.” Meanwhile, Vanessa (Lail) struggles with the psychological trauma of her father’s deeds. In this regard, Vanessa’s story arc is the most intriguing of them all, as she is the one who has the most to overcome. For one, she was aware of her father’s crimes, having been an unwilling accomplice when she was younger. Now, despite her father being gone, she is unable to shake the feeling that she can’t outrun his legacy and move on. Hutcherson, while being the biggest name attached to the project, really takes a back seat to everyone else in the film. In this film, much of the story is from Vanessa’s perspective, which I could appreciate. Kind of like alternating between playable characters.
McKenna Grace’s addition was exciting and upped the suspense factor. It’s been a productive year for the star, with this film serving as her sixth 2025 project. With at least three projects already planned for 2026; to include joining the Scream and Hunger Games franchises, Grace shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. I’m fairly sure her involvement with the Freddy’s franchise ends here, but needless to say, she left an impression. On the other hand, like Ulrich, the addition of Freddy Carter felt criminally underutilized. For the most part, he shows up in the beginning and isn’t heard from again until a last-minute plot twist that was pretty stale. Forcing a connection core character didn’t feel authentic, and to my mind, there was a better connection available. To the film’s credit, this connection did set the stage for disharmony between two character and thereby providing opportunity for an inevitable conflict that will play out in the third film.
While annoyed by film’s cliffhanger ending, I am also intrigued by the direction the story is heading. As with the previous film, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 aptly walks the line between funny and suspenseful, thereby keeping the franchise engaging and exciting. Having never played the video games or read any of the books, I can’t speak to its faithfulness to its source material, but as a newcomer, I can say that it is worth seeing and will keep you absorbed. However, more Skeet Ulrich would have been a welcome addition.
