The 2010s saw the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” game franchise dominate the internet. Social media platforms were flooded with media inspired by the games: play-throughs, fanart, edits and reaction videos were unavoidable. While the franchise became an integral part of Gen Z’s online childhood, it began to fade into the foreground towards the end of the 2010s. The newest addition, “Five Night’s at Freddy’s 2,” has renewed the popularity of the fandom just as its predecessor, “Five Night’s at Freddy’s,” (hereafter referred to as FNAF) did.
It is important to mention that “Five Night’s at Freddy’s 2” significantly diverges from the original story, creating a movie accessible to entirely new audiences. While this has expanded the reach of the movie, it has also diluted what made the games so beloved in the first place. Since I have had little knowledge of FNAF prior to watching the film, I will be rating it as a stand-alone movie.
Following his retirement from the position of security guard at FNAF, Mike Schmidt has stayed far away from the animatronics of the infamous pizzeria. Conversely, his younger sister Abby is infatuated with them. This difference of opinion is largely what moves the plot forward; Abby tries to reach the animatronics, and Mike tries to stop her. Abby’s insistence on reuniting with the obviously murderous animatronics can be frustrating, but the film rationalizes it by depicting her as a lonely, isolated young girl. In response to her animatronic obsession, Abby is met with incessant cruelty from the adults around her. Feeling targeted by adults is a universal childhood experience, but this cruelty can come across as unbelievable in its excess.
What I found most compelling about the film was the character of Vanessa. Her father, William Afton, murdered children and placed them into the animatronics in a quest for immortality. As the daughter of such a horrific murderer, she is haunted by his crimes. The film depicts her mental turmoil as she goes through her daily life, during which it alludes to earlier events rather than showing them. Vanessa’s struggle with the past also appears in her relationship with Mike, as they switch between friendship and animosity. The end of the film completes their arc by having Mike suddenly and unexpectedly lose all empathy and compassion for Vanessa, forever shunning her from his family. This is a strange decision, especially considering how Vanessa regarded him and Abby as family.
Despite its identity as a horror movie, FNAF 2 does little to scare you. Neither gory nor tense, the film relies on jump scares to frighten the viewer. These scares mostly take place as we follow the exploration of an abandoned FNAF by a vlogging crew. Before a scare appears, several moments pass, indicating its arrival. As the moment approaches, the vloggers just stand there looking clueless. This completely kills any tension a viewer may feel. Conceptually, the idea of rotting corpses controlling animatronics is terrifying. This is made wholly unclear by the film itself; instead, it appears as though the animatronics are homicidal simply to be scary.
As an entirely new viewer, I lack the excitement that comes with seeing a childhood treasure depicted in full screen glory. Fans of the games point out every little detail and reference with joy; I don’t understand the significance of any of it. This has influenced my opinion and that of many others, illustrated in the disparity between audience and critic ratings. Nevertheless, “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” has been a box office success, leaving the franchise open to further installments.
