When Ready or Not debuted in 2019, it was without much fanfare. It took some time for the Samara Weaving-led action-heavy horror comedy to cultivate a following. So much so that it took Radio Silence seven years to pump out a sequel. Not that it needed it. Or so we felt, anyway. The first wraps up its simple yet entertaining plot fairly neatly. Rather than needlessly untying that knot for kicks, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come pulls that lace tight.
We’re ready
We mean that almost literally. Ready or Not 2 (the ‘Here I Come‘ is implied) doesn’t fiddle with what isn’t broken. It takes those stakes that made the first so exciting, and dials it up to… two. That’s not a diss. Instead of Samara Weaving dodging a cult of axe-wielding satanists by herself, it sees Samara Weaving dodge a cult of axe-wielding satanists with her sister, played by Kathryn Newton of… Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania fame.
That should immediately tell you whether Ready or Not 2 is worth throwing a couple hundred bucks at. Fans of the first will have no trouble settling in for a sub-two-hour flick whose only goal is to throw more guts and blood at the camera. Those who didn’t like it can rest easy knowing that they aren’t missing out on much in this sequel.
Ready or Not 2 doesn’t waste any time setting up a sequel, eager to paint the audience red. Don’t think we’re being cagey about the plot details. We aren’t. We’ve already said that Ready or Not 2 doesn’t mess with the formula, and we meant it. It takes all of fifteen minutes to introduce Faith MacCaullay (Kathryn Newton) and explain away the siblings’ longstanding hatred of one another before shunting them into the arena.
That would be the second time in as many days for Grace. You’d think that all of the first movie’s antagonists exploding into a pile of blood and guts after a, uh, spirited game of Hide and Seek wouldn’t leave even a crack for a sequel, but you’d be wrong. We guess it’s not that hard when the writers are focused on the fun rather than the nitty-gritty details. This time, an even larger crowd of satanists seeks our heroes.
The why of it all doesn’t much matter, but we’ll still leave you to discover that for yourself.
What do you call a murderous horde of satanists?
Much of the fun to be had in Ready or Not 2 won’t be found in its writing (though it’s certainly funnier than the first, if not a smidge better, too). Most of that stems from the bigger, wackier cast of folks who hunt down the two sisters. Where the first got by with the likes of a toned-down Adam Brody and Andie MacDowell, Ready or Not 2 recruits Elijah Wood as Satan’s lawyer (really), alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar and however many others.
All of whom lean into the absurdity that Ready or Not 2 radiates. Each represents a different great house (what is this, a YA novel?), all vying for total control of the world. We don’t really see where you go from there. But that’s also what we said about Ready or Not in 2019, so…
Elijah Wood is easily the biggest name of the lot, and he makes it clear why. Even with the relatively little screentime thrown his way, he makes it a memorable performance. The vampire slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar, pulls off something similar, revelling in the campy style that is essential to Ready or Not 2’s success.
A big boon for Ready or Not 2 is in its double-leads, Grace and Faith. Not only was Kathryn Newton’s performance… fairly solid — we have a few small issues — it had the added benefit of giving Samara Weaving something extra to do. The sibling rivalry on show here, under threat of imminent death, of course, was a faucet for laughs this time around, and serves as the film’s emotional anchor.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come verdict
So, does Ready or Not 2 live up to its name? By which we mean, do you want to come? That one’s easy. For fans of the first, even those who were a little sceptical of a sequel in the first place, will have no qualms in forking over their bucks to whichever lucky cinema chain gets ’em. But for the folks who found the comedy horror of the first a little overwhelming, they won’t find redemption here.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come begins its local theatrical release tomorrow, Friday, 20 March.
