Dir: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Cast: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Elijah Wood, David Cronenberg
Though it may not match its predecessor’s originality and shock value, this fun comedy-horror sequel cranks up the gore and lore as our blood-soaked bride battles yet another sinister clan of wealthy cultists
Before the dark days of 2020, when cinemas were forced to shut their doors and movie production came to a halt across the globe due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were treated to one of the best years for cinema in modern times. 2019 was a final, dazzling celebration of cinema before everything changed, gifting us unforgettable gems like “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, “Little Women”, “1917”, “Joker”, “Avengers: Endgame”, “Knives Out”, and the Oscar-winning “Parasite” to name just a few. Amid this cinematic feast, the horror-comedy “Ready or Not” snuck in as a surprise delight. This wildly entertaining romp marked the second solo feature from Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who had previously made their mark with anthology horror like 2012’s “V/H/S”.
Written by R. Christopher Murphy and Guy Busick, the film followed Samara Weaving’s starry-eyed bride, Grace, as she is thrust into a deadly game of hide-and-seek against her sinister, devil-pact-inheriting in-laws. It’s a riotous ride that stands out as one of my favourites from that remarkable year, with Weaving’s electrifying performance cementing her status as a modern scream queen.
“Ready or Not” quickly became Radio Silence’s breakout hit, with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett steering Murphy and Busick’s clever script to unexpected heights. Busick, in particular, emerged as the company’s go-to screenwriter over the following years as Radio Silence solidified their genre credentials by reviving the “Scream” franchise with two smash-hit entries in 2022 and 2023. After creative shakeups and the departure of star Melissa Barrera, the team moved away from the long-running slasher franchise and pivoted to the darkly comic “Abigail” in 2024, before circling back to the universe that launched their mainstream success.
Originally imagined as a standalone sister story starring Weaving and fellow scream queen Kathryn Newton, the concept was woven into the “Ready or Not” universe when Searchlight invited Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett to craft a sequel. Officially announced in 2024, the follow-up brought back Weaving as the sole survivor and reunited Murphy and Busick on the script. Two years later, “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” bursts onto screens. Though I was wary about recapturing the first film’s spark, the sequel’s bold tone, inventive gore, and sharp humour quickly won me over.
Despite a six-year wait, “Ready or Not 2” wastes no time, plunging us right back into the chaos in the aftermath of the first film. Grace, now a widowed heroin, sits on the steps of her in-laws’ burning mansion, exhausted from her run-in with the satanic cult. Accused of murdering the Le Domas clan and handcuffed to a gurney, she’s unexpectedly reunited with her estranged younger sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton).
Elsewhere, six powerful families learn of the Le Domas’ downfall and swiftly gather at the opulent Danforth estate, ruled by Chester Danforth (David Cronenberg) and his cunning twins, Ursula (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Titus (Shawn Hatosy). Grace and Faith are soon captured and briefed by a devilish lawyer (Elijah Wood): Grace’s survival has left the council’s throne vacant, and whoever kills her claims ultimate power. But if Grace endures until dawn once again, she alone inherits the world’s might.
It takes a moment to settle in, as the deadly game’s increasingly convoluted rules get a second round of explanation, but “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” quickly finds its groove, matching the first film’s wild energy. While it flirts with the classic sequel pitfall of doing more of the same, the film sidesteps fatigue by deepening its twisted lore and further satirising the cultish elite. Its eat-the-rich messaging is hardly subtle, dissecting the powerful with the same visceral glee as cult classics like Brian Yuzna’s “Society” (1989), with the recently released satanic action-comedy “They Will Kill You” also clearly owing a debt to Radio Silence’s deliciously wicked duology.
Despite its blunt themes and gleeful violence, the film never tips into cruelty; instead, it embraces the darkly comic spirit that made the original so memorable. Busick and the directors found a similar balance in their “Scream” entries, but nothing quite matches the wicked fun on display here.
Samara Weaving once again commands the screen as the unstoppable bride, refusing to stay down no matter how many times she is shot, stabbed, or impaled. Pairing her with Newton injects a lively new chemistry; their sibling rivalry crackles with both affection and animosity, even with their lives at stake. The supporting cast shines too, with Gellar and Hatosy delighting as the scheming and psychotic Danforth twins, and Elijah Wood delivering a sly turn as the Devil’s lawyer, guiding us through the labyrinthine rules. While a few comic relief characters feel shoehorned in and some jokes miss the mark, the ensemble mostly delivers a wickedly entertaining ride, even if it lacks the more relatable domestic squabbles of the first film.
For all its ramped-up lore, violence, and expanded cast, this sequel can’t quite recapture the shock and originality of the first. The original’s suspense hinged on our uncertainty about the ritual’s reality, but with the mystery gone, surprises are scarce. The sequel’s broader daylight setting and sprawling golf-course setting limit the tension, making it feel more like “The Most Dangerous Game” than a claustrophobic round of hide-and-seek.
Still, both “Ready or Not” films are a blast to recommend, offering something for everyone: horror fans craving carnage, comedy lovers seeking laughs, and even newcomers just wanting a wild night at the movies.
The Verdict:
Though it doesn’t quite reach the wild heights of its cult-classic predecessor, “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” carves a fresh path for the comedy-horror series, plunging us deeper into the sinister forces lurking beneath modern society and serving up a gleeful array of blood-soaked laughs.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is now showing in UK Cinemas
Dan Loves Film 
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