'Five Nights at Freddy's 2 Is Out: Is the Sequel Worth Your Time? (Spoiler, No)

One year after the release of the first movie, the terrifying animatronics from the hit game series return to screens. Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is billed as a larger, more brutal sequel full of hints at future installments.

However, despite its expanded budget and ambition, it is once again a spineless horror flick that fails to frighten or captivate.

What Is 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' About?

The action takes place one year after the events of the first movie. Mike tries to protect his sister, Abby, from her dark past. However, the girl dreams of meeting her animatronic friends and returns to the pizzeria.

There, she finds a toy radio through which Chica lures her to the first pizzeria in the chain. There, Abby is trapped by the Marionette, who is possessed by the soul of Charlotte, a girl who fell victim to Springtrap.

Obsessed with getting revenge on the adults, the Marionette devises devious plans for Abby. Mike and Vanessa must plunge into the nightmare once again to save her.

'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' Has a Promising Premise, but It Quickly Goes Down the Drain

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 opens with a powerful, even shocking, scene that lays the groundwork for a potentially heartbreaking story about childhood trauma and disillusionment with the adult world.

The tragedy of a girl whose soul is trapped in the last emotion she experienced – rage – is a bold and touching concept. However, after this promising start, the movie quickly loses focus, devolving into a predictable series of jump scares and clichéd twists.

Rather than exploring the subject in depth, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 takes the easy way out, offering viewers only a superficial glimpse of the plot.

The Narrative Is Choppy, and the Movie Lacks Impressive Action to Compensate for This

Director Emma Tammi struggled to nail down the central story, attempting to tell too much at once. The plot jumps between a vengeful puppet, a suspicious security guard, Abby's everyday school life, and the "Ghostbusters" adventures, creating a chaotic narrative.

This could be forgiven if the movie offered spectacular, creative action scenes. Unfortunately, the suspense is weak, and the jump scares are predictable.

'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' Would Only Be Interesting for Hardcore Game Fans

The only things that work in the sequel are the atmosphere and design. The animatronics are impressively detailed, and the pizzeria perfectly captures the essence of the game universe. The abundance of Easter eggs and references will delight avid FNaF fans.

For everyone else, however, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is simply a collection of cheap jump scares and boring scenes stretched out to fill the running time.

If you're not a hardcore FNaF fan, you're better off spending your time on something more worthwhile.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2'?

• Five Nights at Freddy's 2 has 12% from critics and 88% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.7/10.

• On Letterboxd, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 scored 2.8/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2'?

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is currently playing in theaters.