Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 is back to scare up the holiday season. The anticipated sequel to 2023’s surprise hit Five Nights At Freddy’s sees the return of Mike, Abby and Vanessa as they are trying to live normal lives after the traumatic end to Five Nights At Freddy’s.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 takes place not too long after the events of the first film. It seems that this new life of peace won’t last long when Abby begins questioning and missing her animatronic friends. Vanessa also seems unable to shake off her traumatic past, and when Abby decides to sneak out to visit the animatronics, this unravels even more of Vanessa’s past.

The film starts off pretty strong, introducing more of Vanessa’s past in a retro 80s setting. This is where we learn of the Marionette’s origins, and we witness more of William Afton’s sinister activities. I really felt the film come to life in the moment and what the fans have been waiting to see. Matthew Lillard’s performance as Afton in the previous film was one of the highlights. Lillard is a true highlight throughout the film and this opener was a peak moment in the film. It really set the movie in motion with this moment and had me excited for what was to follow. However, once we jump to the present, the pacing of the film really slows down.

It seems some time has passed but the characters all seem to still be stuck in the feelings of the first film. It makes for a very lackluster first act where not much happens. Luckily, callbacks to the games along with cameos would bring you back. As always, the work that Jim Henson’s Creature Shop put into the animatronics is one of the biggest highlights of the film. The designs were spot-on with game accuracy, and were beautifully (and creepily) made. In particular, the Marionette was very creepy, as well as the withered animatronics that are stored in the backroom at pizzeria. I also loved seeing the new “toy” versions of the animatronics, along with Balloon Boy and Circus Baby.

Along with the animatronics themselves, call-backs to the game were a lot of fun. There is a sequence in the film where Mike does exactly what players do in the second game, such as putting on a mask and using a flashlight. You could hear the excitement in the audience when Mike managed to get the mask on in the nick of time. McKenna Grace plays a character named Lisa who leads a ghost hunter’s type show. The film really picks up again here because the idea feels fresh and interesting. A ghost horror show investigating Fazbears is definitely something I’d be open to seeing more. It’s a bit short lived though, and doesn’t feel like it’s utilized to its full extent. A lot of the film has these moments where you think it’s going into a new a fresh direction, but then it pulls away. The film’s writing really stands in the way of itself, with too much exposition. While I understand that the intended audience skews on the younger side, I think that the film doesn’t trust audiences enough to come to their own conclusions. This makes the film feels so rigid and tired. A lot of the heavy lifting resting on the animatronics and callbacks to keep you engaged. There’s also a twist in the final act that just felt like a throwaway and not fully executed.

Overall, if you’re a fan of the Five Night’s at Freddy’s games and the first film, you’ll definitely enjoy Five Night’s at Freddy’s 2. The lore building was executed so well and served up a truly sinister opening. I do wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt as well. McKenna Grace’s character also leading a Scooby-Doo type crew into Fazbears made for some innovative and interesting segments, but of course, the film veered off from this as well. The film does get in its own way a lot of the times and doesn’t have as much flow. Audiences not familiar with the lore of the games may struggle to get through this one. However, If you’re a fan then you’ll probably be ready for what is set up at the conclusion of Five Night’s at Freddy’s 2.