The 'worst' horror movie of 2025 sets Netflix debut after major critical failure

Right now, horror movies are having quite a moment at the box office. Back to back, Obsession and Backrooms became massive money-making smashes, an especially notable feat due to both movies being made on meager budgets. While they are surely about to inspire a number of modestly budgeted horror movies in the future, the genre will still be filled with critically panned hits, too.

No matter how popular a movie might be, sometimes sequels just aren't met with positive reception. The stakes get higher and so do the critics' and audiences' standards for any subsequent entry in a franchise. Unfortunately for Five Nights at Freddy's, the supernatural horror movie's sequel didn't manage to beat the sequel curse and was dubbed the "worst" horror movie of 2025.

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 coming to Netflix in August 2026

However, it's not all bad news for Five Night at Freddy's 2 and its fans. The movie will be making its Netflix debut this summer. Following its theatrical run, which began on Dec. 5, 2025, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 begins streaming on Netflix in the United States on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. Even though the movie earned horrible reviews, there's no doubt a curious new audience will make it a hit once more.

So, just how bad was Five Nights at Freddy's 2 according to critics? The film holds a 17% score on Rotten Tomatoes, though moviegoers liked the movie much more than critics as the audience score sits at 82%. Compared to the first film, which was released in 2023, the reception decreased as the original movie earned a 33% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Various reviewers didn't hold back on what they didn't like about Five Nights at Freddy's 2, tossing around the word "worst" in multiple reviews. "Worst" came before "films of the year" in more than one write-up, and another also posited that the sequel ranked among the "worst video-game movies ever." These are some strong words for a horror movie that's otherwise mindless fun.

But the bad buzz didn't deter audiences from seeing (or liking) the movie, as the worldwide box office gross of over $239 million wasn't too far away from the $297.2 million gross of the first movie. While growing the worldwide total rather than seeing it decline would have immediately guaranteed a third movie, you can't deny that the sequel still managed to be a box office success (based on its budget).

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 stars Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mckenna Grace, Wayne Knight, Skeet Ulrich, and Matthew Lillard as the animatronics fight for revenge. Although the movie was scorched by critics and dropped in box office impact, a third movie is already in the works. The sequel's bow on Netflix will only be a much-needed push to be seen by even more fans.

For a closer look at more Netflix new releases coming this summer, check out the full list of shows and movies dropping in July 2026 and stay tuned for more updates!

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