“Fanservice Chaos”: Critics Panned “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” but Viewers Were More Forgiving

Critical and audience reactions proved almost entirely at odds.

The sequel inspired by Five Nights at Freddy’s premiered on December 5 and met with sharply divided responses. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 holds a critics’ score of 12% from 68 reviews, compared with 33% for the first film.

Audiences, by contrast, were considerably more receptive. The audience rating climbed to 88% based on more than 500 entries — slightly higher than the original’s 86%.

The sequel advances the original story, moving the timeline one year beyond the first film’s finale. Mike (Josh Hutcherson), his sister Abby (Piper Rubio) and Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) again confront the reawakened animatronics, now joined by several new models.

Reviews suggest the film is squarely aimed at fans of the games: it’s laden with references and fan service and at times succeeds in expanding the franchise’s world. Yet critics fault that exact emphasis, arguing other elements are underdeveloped. For many viewers, however, those fan-oriented moments were enough to justify a trip to the theater. Even among positive notices, commentators point to thin character work and a patchy, rushed plot.

Despite the warmer audience response and clear fan focus, opening figures fell short of expectations. Universal and Blumhouse had hoped to at least match the first film’s debut, but the sequel’s initial returns are roughly 30% lower. The follow-up opened to $7 million, versus $10.3 million for the original.

Source: iXBT.games