★★★★☆
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2

This article contains major spoilers.

Ever since the first trailer dropped, I have been quietly excited yet skeptical about Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. I didn’t hate the first movie, but I did think it was a step down from the fantastic lore of the video games.

Over the years, it has grown on me. I have learned to separate every part of the franchise; games, books, movies. And overall, that has made everything a much more enjoyable experience.

But still, I was skeptical about how they were going to handle the second film, especially because it features one of my favourite characters in the entire franchise: The Marionette.

The introduction of Charlotte Emily being the opener immediately grabbed my attention. A younger Vanessa also being brought into the fray further piqued my interest, and the re-introduction of William Afton in his iconic Spring Bonnie suit meant I couldn’t peel my eyes away.

The tension is immediately built as Charlotte follows Afton into the back room after witnessing him luring a young boy back there. As she slowly creeps towards the unconscious child to rescue him, you are left wondering if her mission will be successful.

As she grabs him and heads for the exit, Afton creeps up behind her with heavy animatronic footsteps, wielding a large kitchen knife. You are engaged, rooting for Charlotte as she desperately makes her escape, only to find out a few moments later that, while she made it, she was stabbed by Afton.

She appears on the main stage holding the boy – her stab wounds visible. Everyone watches on as she succumbs to her injuries above a stripy trapdoor. As it opens, she falls down, and the Marionette emerges, being visually introduced for the first time, holding the corpse of Charlotte.

A powerful introduction as the title card rolls. This was when I knew that no punches would be held in the sequel.

Apart from the opening sequence being a standout for me, I thought the performance of Elizabeth Lail as Vanessa, the young Piper Rubio as Abby, and Josh Hutcherson as Mike were all fantastic yet again.

The reveal that Mike has been telling Abby that he is ‘going to fix her friends’ (referring to the animatronics) is interesting, and eventually leads Abby to return to the pizzeria from the first movie. Her friends are nowhere to be seen, but this sets up Mike’s return later in the movie when he recruits them to rescue Abby.

Although I did let out a chuckle at the Avengers Infinity War-esque return of the original four characters, Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy, it did make for an effective scene later in the movie as they rescued Vanessa, Mike and Abby from the Toy animatronics.

The amazing Kellen Goff voices Toy Freddy, and as usual, he doesn’t miss. His performance is fantastic and you’re reminded why he is trusted time and time again to voice the titular character.

Megan Fox and MatPat also impressed in their roles, even though at times, if you didn’t know, you would never guess that it was MatPat’s voice! I guess that’s what being a theatre kid will give you.

Vanessa’s struggle with coming to terms with the fact that she is the daughter of William Afton is portrayed well. Her entering a dreamlike state to confront her father is great, and it’s a scene that builds up tension just as well as the opener. Even though you know that Vanessa isn’t going to die, the constant flip between it being her adult and child self is perfect, and shows how in that moment, she feels just as vulnerable as she may have as a child.

This scene also introduces Circus Baby – an addition that I didn’t expect. Whether we’ll get more information on if she will return is yet to be seen, but it was a welcome introduction to the movie universe.

The reveal that Michael Afton was behind everything though didn’t sit well with me. I do feel that it takes away from an otherwise brilliant plot, and while I don’t mind the route they are going down (with his character being evil), I feel as though it could have been saved for the third movie.

Speaking of the third movie, the mid-credit scene was enjoyable. It seems as though we’ll be following the plot of the third game more closely, with three young men invading the Freddy’s location from the first movie to locate memorablia for a Haunted House attraction. Of course, they discover Spring Bonnie, with William Afton inside of it, and although we don’t get a full shot of Springtrap, the design looks like it’s going to be incredible.

The movie doesn’t have an ‘actual’ ending, which caught me off guard. When the final scene played, I almost expected it to enter another act, but instead, we get left on a brutal cliffhanger that sees Vanessa be possessed by the Marionette after Mike tells her to stay away from him and Abby. It’s very intentionally abrupt.

This makes it clear that while the focus of the third movie will be on Springtrap, the Marionette will also return. Her story isn’t over, and it will be interesting to see how she reacts when she inevitably comes face to face with her killer – Afton.

The designs of the Withered Animatronics were amazing and very true to the game. No matter what you think of both movies, one thing everyone can agree on is that the character designs are incredible.

The set designs are also great. Particularly, the river ride in the first location. It is featured in multiple scenes, with a different threat each time, including a full-sized version of Balloon Boy. The overall design of the location with the Toy animatronics is brilliant and unique. I was worried it would be too similar to the first, but it is very true to the game, even featuring references and plot points such as the Freddy mask to fool animatronics.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 serves as an enjoyable sequel to the first film. It delves deeper into the lore of the movie universe, and expands on points introduced in the first film. With more suspense, action and jumpscares, you won’t want to miss this lore-packed adventure best seen on the big screen.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will be streaming digitally from December 23rd on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Vudu and Google Play Movies.