Podcast: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ Gets Uncertified (with BJ Colangelo)

Longtime supporters of Certified Forgotten know that we often feature positive perspectives on movies, both in the podcast and our published writing. But just as interesting to us are negative takes that come from a place of genuine appreciation from a filmmaker or franchise. So with Emma Tammi's Five Nights at Freddy's 2 in theaters, we thought a conversation was in order between two of the first film's biggest advocates: /Film writer BJ Colangelo and our very own Matt Donato.

In the sequel, Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) and his little sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), are trying to move past their traumatizing encounter with Freddy Fazbear. Unfortunately, they're called to the original Fazbear restaurant (also abandoned and conveniently located nearby). Here, where William Afton (Matthew Lillard) began his killing spree back in the 1980s, Abby attempts to reunite with her lost friends—Chuck E. Cheese-y animatronics possessed by the souls of Afton's victims. What she finds is far worse, coming face-to-face with a new foe that's been dormant until now: The Marionette. Afton's daughter, Vanessa Shelly (Elizabeth Lail), tried to subdue the possessed puppet with a magic music box—but now, inhabited by the soul of Afton's bravest victim, Charlotte (Audrey Lynn-Marie), The Marionette is vengeful and on the prowl.

While Colangelo has long argued for Five Nights at Freddy's place as adolescent horror, in this short excerpt from the episode, she explains why this new sequel fails to live up to the franchise's potential:

In this movie, when Scott Cawthon is given the full reins of the script, it feels like he's trying to smash all of his video game lore into a hole that is now shaped like a movie canon. It feels like the result of somebody who is a little chronically online—taking feedback from the first movie, taking feedback from the games, making decisions premptively—and it just doesn't work.

The Five Nights at Freddy's 2 episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast with BJ Colangelo is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, or the podcast platform of your choice.