Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have been killing it with the horror franchise and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is the latest proof of their vision. From revitalising the Scream franchise to Abigail, they’ve found their mark within the genre of going all out on the gruesomeness while balancing it with some well-written comedy that will never fail to make you laugh.
Ready or Not was first released in 2019 and brought Grace’s (Samara Weaving) treacherous night and game of hide-and-seek to a definitive end, but with the release of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, it seems like Grace hasn’t yet escaped. It has been seven long years since that first film, and while so much time has passed in our real world, no time has passed at all between the ending of the original movie and the beginning of this sequel, throwing you straight into the chaotic and satanic nature of this world once again.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come follows Grace after she survived a deadly game of hide and seek with her in-laws. After besting them, witnessing them combust, and possibly seeing Mr. Le Bail, aka Satan himself, she thought her horrors had come to an end. Unfortunately for her, winning a game against the Le Domas family has entered her into the next phase, which involves the High Council, made up of five families. Grace is now forced to play yet another game of hide and seek, double or nothing, where if she survives until dawn again, she will hold all power and control against the world, but if she loses, whoever kills her will hold that immensely dangerous power.
There’s only a slight issue: Grace’s estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), has found herself in the game, forcing Grace to save both her and her sister’s lives. The introduction of Faith brings a whole new identity to the Ready or Not films, as Grace now not only has an additional person to worry about, but their past tends to get between them and the decisions that are made.
The first movie stays relatively contained within itself, and it’s safe to say that the character development in that movie is barely explored aside from the Le Domas family games and Mr Le Bail. We don’t discover much about Grace except for the fact that she doesn’t have a sister. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’s inclusion of introducing Faith not only increases the stakes for everyone involved, but Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy get to create some real heartfelt moments, even if we don’t get to sit on them for long with all the chaos that’s ensuing at Danforth Manor.
Samara Weaving is better than ever in this blood-fest sequel, cementing herself as a scream queen but, most importantly, handling herself with a “taking shit from no one” mentality, which takes her further in this movie than you’d expect. We could talk about Weaving forever, but her co-lead, Kathryn Newton, is just as exceptional.
Their chemistry takes the themes of sisterhood and weaves them perfectly throughout the movie as we bounce back and forth between their joyous comedic moments and arguments that could either cost them their lives or separate them for good (again). She’s rebellious, and that can prove to be a problem for Grace at times, as it can bring a halt to their plans and also stops her from trying to show that she’s always cared and loved her sister, despite not being in her life.
Kathryn Newton isn’t the only newcomer that shines in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. With the High Circle now being involved, we get a look at the five families that’ll be involved in hunting down Grace and Faith. We’re delivered with a stacked and impressive cast that ranges from Sarah Michelle Geller to David Cronenberg. Elijah Wood remains elusive throughout the entire movie as the Lawyer but has perfect comedic timing when it comes to combustions that are about to happen.
The El Caido family was easily the most fun to watch, with Ignacio El Caido (Néstor Carbonell) embarrassingly missing all his sniper shots; Francesca El Caido (Maia Jae), wanting pure revenge on Grace for stealing Alex from her, which amounts to one of the funniest set pieces in the movie as we get a duel between her and Grace, in wedding dresses and with their eyes full of pepper spray; and finally Felipe El Caido (Juan Pablo Romero), who’s a bit too excited for this game at his young age and is eager to rip bullets into Grace.
Sarah Michelle Geller is iconic in any role she takes, but with Ready or Not: Here I Come, despite bringing the same amount of energy to the movie as everyone else, she lacks in comparison to her scene partner, Shawn Hatosy, who plays her twin brother, Titus Danforth. Both Ursula and Titus are trying to keep hold of the high seat in their family, but only one of them can wear the ring to rule them all (yes, a movie with Elijah Wood involves an all-powerful ring).
There’s tension between both siblings, but over the duration of the movie, it becomes clear who’ll rise on top. Hatosy delivers a feral and terrifying performance as Titus, making him stand on top of everyone else as the antagonist of the film. He’s brutal, and at times, it feels like he’s a little bit more satanic than the devil himself.
Where Ready or Not 2: Here I Come stands stronger than its predecessor is that the set pieces are stunning and fit the chaotic and cartoonish nature of the violence that can be found within this movie. Danforth Manor isn’t as stylish or truly memorable as the Le Domas mansion, but Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett do a great job of ensuring that every action-packed scene is one that you’ll remember once you leave the cinema. The kills are more creative, and with the extra danger of the five families not being able to harm each other and following the strict rules of Mr Le Bail closely, it makes for such an entertaining and fun watch.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett go all out with this gruesome but hilarious sequel as they deliver a third-act finale that puts Samara Weaving in her best look yet and gives us an unhinged performance, finally tired of the shit she’s been put through. If you thought you had already seen enough combustion, you aren’t ready for what the third act has to offer.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come continues on from a movie that provided a definitive ending and expands on the world. We get to see how the world operates with the High Council introduced, recontexualising everything we thought we knew from the first film. It opens up a whole new world that didn’t exist before, and with how Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy handled the world-building and character development with this sequel, I wouldn’t be mad if they decided to return for a third time and deliver a definitive conclusion to this satanic madness.
It might not be as tight as the first film or better, but it’s without a doubt on par, and that’s a success for a sequel to an already beloved movie. Yet another win for Radio Silence!
