When Five Nights at Freddy’s exploded into theaters in 2023, it wasn’t the critics who crowned it a hit—it was the audience. Horror fans, families, teens, and an entire generation raised on Let’s Plays and late-night jump-scare videos turned out in droves. Fast-forward to Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, and the exact same dynamic has repeated itself, only louder, bigger, and even more undeniable.
Despite a wave of lukewarm (and in some cases outright dismissive) reviews from traditional film critics, FNAF 2 debuted to record-breaking opening weekend numbers, proving once again that critics and moviegoers are not just living on different planets—they’re sometimes watching entirely different movies.
And the divide isn’t subtle this time. It’s seismic.
The Critics Shrugged. The Audience Roared.
Walk into any showing of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 this past weekend and you’ll immediately understand the disconnect. The film was designed unapologetically—and effectively—for its core fanbase: kids, teens, nostalgic millennials, and horror fans who love animatronics, atmosphere, and lore-heavy franchises.
While many critics dismissed it as “too niche,” “too chaotic,” or “too focused on fan service,” the audience told a very different story. The film earned its massive opening weekend because people didn’t just watch it—they celebrated it.
And I saw it first-hand.
A Personal Snapshot: Kids Cheering in the Theater
I took my 13-year-old son to see FNAF 2 opening weekend—a ritual at this point. What I saw in that theater was something horror rarely gets credit for: pure, unfiltered joy.
My son was literally cheering by the end of the movie. So were the other kids in the audience. They were engaged, thrilled, emotionally invested, and completely immersed in the world the filmmakers built for them.
Ask any critic if they’ve measured a film’s success by smiles and applause from actual paying viewers, and you’ll typically get a spreadsheet instead.
But horror has always belonged to its fans first.
And FNAF 2 delivers exactly what those fans came to see.
A Film Should Not Be Penalized for Knowing Its Audience
One of the biggest frustrations in horror is that films often get punished for the very thing other genres get praised for: catering to their audience.
Superhero films do it. Animated films do it. Action franchises do it. No one bats an eye.
But when horror films lean into their fandom—when they embrace the tone, lore, style, and energy their core audience wants—they’re suddenly accused of being:
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“Fan service”
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“Lowbrow”
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“Not for general audiences”
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“Too niche”
A film should know who it’s speaking to. FNAF 2 is a franchise picture, a fan-driven phenomenon, and a cultural moment for an entire generation. Judging it against a standard it was never trying to hit is not proper criticism—it’s a refusal to meet the film on its own terms.
And honestly? Horror fans are used to that.
Horror: Still the Red-Headed Step-Child of Cinema
For decades, horror has been the genre critics love to underestimate and audiences love to embrace. It gets dismissed, misunderstood, and undervalued… right up until the box office receipts roll in.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is simply the latest reminder that horror doesn’t need critical approval to succeed. It needs fans—fans who show up, pack theaters, and turn screenings into communal experiences.
And that’s exactly what happened opening weekend.
Critics may not get it, but the horror community does. The kids cheering in my theater did. My own son did. Millions of fans worldwide did.
And at the end of the day, those are the voices that keep the genre alive.
Final Thoughts
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 isn’t just a successful horror sequel—it’s a case study in how far removed film criticism has become from real audience engagement. The numbers don’t lie. The cheers don’t lie. The fan energy doesn’t lie.
Horror has always been the underdog, the misfit genre, the “red-headed step-child” of film. But it’s also one of the most loved genres, one of the most profitable, and one of the most culturally impactful.
And FNAF 2 just proved that—again—whether the critics noticed or not.
