Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is not off to a great start with critics.
The sequel has debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a 13% critic score, well below the first movie’s 25% when it opened in 2013. The original film has since climbed to 33% with an 86% audience score, showing a massive divide between critics and fans.
The first Five Nights at Freddy’s also had a huge box office run, earning $80 million during its opening and finishing with $291,589,416 worldwide—despite releasing day-and-date on Peacock. Universal will be watching closely to see if the sequel can overcome poor reviews and repeat that success.
What the Reviews Say
The Negative
Critics argue the sequel is messy, clunky, and full of baffling story choices. Common complaints include plot holes, dull pacing, reliance on video game logic, and a lack of genuine scares. Several reviews say the film doesn’t improve on the first and feels like a weaker copy.
“The film’s cast deserves credit, not so much for their performances as their ability to keep a straight face throughout.” — The Hollywood Reporter
“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 gives sequels, video game adaptations, and gateway horror movies a bad name.” — IGN Movies
“There are plot holes that make this thing… not make sense.” — JeremyJahns.com
“A supernatural video-game slasher movie of astonishing clunky crudeness.” — Variety
“Whatever crass simplicity there once was… has been crushed to death by narrative add-ons, plot gimmicks, and heavy-duty incompetence.” — AV Club
Overall, the negative reviews say the sequel fails to deliver horror or coherence, and doubles down on the flaws of the first film.
The Positive
A handful of critics say the movie improves on the original, offers better scares, and gives fans more of what they want from the franchise. Some praise the nostalgic touches, handcrafted effects, and the sequel’s energy, calling it a solid entry-level horror film.
“In this sequel, there’s an attempt to prioritize the nostalgic atmosphere over the narrative… and creative in some chilling dream sequences.” — La Nación
“I appreciate them for the fanfare.” — SpookyAstronauts
“With better scares and more surprises, Scott Cawthon stays true to FNaF loyalists while improving remarkably all around.” — FandomWire
“It’s a movie for kids just getting into horror… the kids have already learned one of the genre’s most important lessons.” — Den of Geek
“Better than the original… and Fans of the games are going to scream at some of the surprises packed into this sequel.” — Zach Pope Reviews
Positive reviews consistently point out that fans will likely enjoy it far more than critics, and that the film works best when viewed as a stylized, PG-13 robot-slasher rather than traditional horror.
Release info
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is now in theaters. Emma Tammi is the director. The film is based on the games by Scott Cawthon. Starring includes
Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Freddy Carter, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, David Andrew Calvillo, and Teo Briones.
