The Five Nights at Freddy’s movies have almost become infamous in film history. Both of the movies have been shunned by critics but always loved by fans. Something about the movies constantly makes critics hate them, so when I went to watch the sequel with a few people, I was shocked to find my opinion on the movie to be so critical. This entire article will have as little spoilers as possible, but I heavily recommend watching the movies for yourself.
Story
The story picks up a year or so after the previous movie and shows that Mike and Abby have grown since the first movie, while Vanessa is haunted by visions of her past. These visions include a character named Charlotte Emily, who died protecting a kid from the previous movie’s antagonist: William Afton. This was at a different location, which the movie is mainly focused on. We also see that the animatronics from the previous movie are still alive, thanks to the Faz-Talker Abby finds in the location from the first movie. Despite this, something is off while Abby is guided to the other location.
Characters
The main protagonist switches to Abby for the most part in this movie. She’s a lot smarter and more mature than in the first movie, and still cares for her friends even after all of this time. Mike takes a secondary role for the first act, but when he gets back in the office, he truly does show his skill. Vanessa is a big part of the movie, but I can’t say anything about her without heavily spoiling the entire film. Lastly, the animatronics in this movie are a lot more violent, especially the toy animatronics. This is incredibly shocking considering that role is mostly delegated to the withered animatronics.
Fun Value
As someone who loves the Five Nights at Freddy’s series, I thought the movie had many great nods and references to the source material. A lot of things may go unnoticed by other people, but the small stuff, like how Toy Chica’s beak falls off, makes the movie great for fans. There’s a lot of comedy in the movie, which somehow doesn’t distract from the horror throughout the film. The film does sadly take away the marionette’s personality, which hurts a lot.
Film Value
The film, from a purely cinematic and critical perspective, is not worth the price. When I saw this movie with a friend, I asked him what he thought, and he said, This is honestly the best way to describe the film. I remember seeing the first film and loving it; that’s not to say that the first movie was great, but the sequel just flops as an actual movie.
Overall, I found this movie disappointingly mediocre and was genuinely saddened by its quality. I know that the movie is supposed to be for the fans, but even as a fan, the movie just doesn’t do well. From mischaracterizations to the horrible ending, I think the movie needed a lot more time in the writing room.
