Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Seven years after Ready or Not became a surprise hit that launched the careers of both Samara Weaving and directors Radio Silence, the creative team have reunited to deliver a sequel that proves well worth the wait. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come does what any great sequel should do—retain what was great about the original while also offering up a different flavour for audiences to enjoy, with this follow-up installment leaning more into the comedy this time around. 

Picking up immediately after the events of the first film, the sequel brings back Samara Weaving as Grace, who reunites with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) and must protect her while being hunted by several elite families in a ritual to gain ultimate power. The premise lacks the visceral terror of the first one, which turned the “in-laws/husband from hell” into something both fun and striking, but turning it into a sister story is the right move by giving it a different but still effective emotional throughline to center the horror around. 

In returning to the role that truly launched her career as a scream queen, Samara Weaving yet again reaffirms her genre credentials by delivering a performance which showcases the trademark intensity that horror fans have come to love from her. She is effortless in portraying her character’s anger, ferocity, frustration and tiredness, while delivering cheer-worthy one-liners and putting her iconic scream to good use throughout the movie. 

As mentioned, the relationship between sisters proves to be the key to the movie’s emotional journey, and it shines thanks to Weaving’s natural chemistry and rapport with Kathryn Newton. The latter proves to be a valuable addition to this world, and the pair bring their relationship to life with ease, playing all its different notes from resentment, frustration, teasing and genuine love so naturally. Having previously worked with Radio Silence on the also enjoyable Abigail, Newton joins the cast with ease and perfectly understands the mix of horror, comedy and emotion that she’s asked to play, bantering naturally with Weaving while also managing to convey the underlying hurt and emotion between the estranged siblings.

The sequel also brings in a handful of big names who all join in and have fun, with Elijah Wood managing to balance a lot of exposition as the lawyer while still giving his character personality and a slight twinkle underneath his businesslike exterior. Shawn Hatosy and Sarah Michelle Gellar also join the cast as siblings Titus and Ursula, with Hatosy delivering an entertaining and hateable performance as the psychopathic Titus, while Gellar does a solid job playing Ursula’s mix of ambition and ruthlessness with an underlying conscience underneath, managing to effectively retain a sense of pathos despite her more antagonistic role. Casting iconic scream queens from three different generations with Gellar, Weaving and Newton is certainly a triumph, which it recognizes and celebrates with a fantastic but selfishly all too brief action sequence involving the trio.

Speaking of which, the movie certainly does not lack inventive set pieces and sequences, trading the intensity and claustrophobia of the first installment for a larger and more comedic approach. While it does start with some slightly clunky exposition, it quickly manages to get into a good flow, striking a balance between fun worldbuilding, various twists, action set pieces, and emotional beats throughout. As expected from a Ready or Not film, it also does not lack creative and bloody kills. The grand finale serves as a great inversion of how the first film began, reminding us of how the film and Samara Weaving’s wedding dress became iconic.

Overall Ready or Not 2: Here I Come proves to be a good time at the movies, doing a fine job at expanding the universe while also offering something different for fans. The comedic tone that it introduces is welcome, proving to be a delight thanks to the natural chemistry between Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton. Check this one out if you’re a fan of the original. 

7.5/10