READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME Review

Samara Weaving is back in that iconic blood-soaked wedding gown for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, with the same writing and directing team returning as well: Radio Silence, Guy Busick, and R. Christopher Murphy. The film picks up right after the events of the 2019 film, raising the stakes of a more sinister game, but this time, it’s an even bigger family affair.

After Grace (Samara Weaving) survives the Le Domas family’s deadly game of “Hide-and-Seek”, she finds herself in the hospital with a detective ready to ask her questions as to why all of her in-laws are dead. And that’s where she is also reunited with her estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), after having not seen each other in years.

While that reunion is anything but sweet, it gets worse when they are captured by the High Council, comprised of the world’s wealthiest families, who, like the Le Domases, have sold their souls to Mr. Le Bail. And they are very much ready to hunt the sisters down in order to claim the most powerful seat of all.

While Ready or Not was certainly the type of film that could have stood on its own, I didn’t hate the idea of watching the film’s final girl come back and learn a new set of rules for this devilish game. And most of what Ready or Not 2: Here I Come offers works well. Undoubtedly, its strongest feature is its cast. Not only having Samara Weaving return, but adding newly-cemented scream queen Kathryn Newton, as well as horror icon Sarah Michelle Gellar. It’s like the Super Bowl of blonde final girls, and the trio is fantastic together.

Seeing Weaving back in action as Grace was a highlight, as she’s one of my all-time favorite female characters in horror. We get to see another side to her as we learn more about her backstory. And this time, she is not only fighting for her own survival but that of her sister, with whom she has a deeply flawed relationship, presenting its own set of issues for her fight against the council. I also loved the chemistry between Weaving and Newton; they have a fabulous dynamic, and both actresses are having a blast playing off one another.

And with Gellar, it was so exciting to see her back on the big screen. While she made a brief appearance in last year’s I Know What You Did Last Summer, it was wonderful to see her take on a more integral role as Ursula, a very commanding yet nuanced person, which gave Gellar a lot to work with.

One thing I’ve always appreciated about Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence is their commitment to showcasing complex female characters. Allowing their protagonists to feel grounded, flawed, but empowered when necessary. It’s what helps audiences fall for these characters and root for their survival, in this case against a band of elite psychopaths.

We also get a bit of a 90s horror film reunion with Elijah Wood and Shawn Hatosy, who had previously appeared in the 1998 film The Faculty. It was great seeing the two back on screen together, each having their own unique eccentricities in their performances. Hatosy is playing this more villainous role, which he’s eating up, as Wood portrays a more reserved, yet somewhat quirky character.

I do love seeing Wood continue to have this resurgence in horror comedies, after being (briefly) in last year’s The Monkey. In this film, he’s a bit of the exposition dump guy, which, while I have no issues with his performance or character, the film depends too much on serving every detail on a silver platter.

In general, it is a very exposition-heavy film, and when it’s purposeful, it’s fine. But it often feels as if they think the audience is too dumb to understand. You’ll have certain characters who deliver clunky dialogue in order to tell us everything, when most viewers have probably already sussed it out.

This can be frustrating because it often feels like the film is on a rollercoaster of being really thrilling and action-packed and then stalling to over-explain something. I just wanted the film to give us a bit more credit that we can figure things out on our own.

What made the first film so entertaining was its inventiveness with the kills and the obstacles Grace faces. I did feel this film doesn’t really commit to that as much. When it starts to lean back into that, it’s a lot of fun, and the new setting does help a lot. It’s this very stately casino resort, and they put it to good use with some hijinks that ensue throughout. What I liked most was that it still maintained a similar atmosphere without replicating the setting of the original film.

And the humor is nicely balanced. There’s one scene in particular, which is probably my second-favorite moment in a horror film, where “Total Eclipse of the Heart” plays, and it is so hysterical. Again, it’s what makes the first film so fun: this exhilarating and comical ride. I think that was the moment at the end of the second act, where you’re heading into the third act, and you feel like it’s really gonna start building up, but it falls back into that issue of stalling.

Don’t get me wrong. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come delivers some truly bonkers and bloody moments, even though it stumbles a bit along the way. There are some really interesting pieces added to the rulebook in terms of how everything works, which is intriguing. I think it could have truly won had it just been a bit smarter with its script, removing that exposition and not allowing the pace to suffer. But it does have a solid ending, which was not at all what I was expecting. So despite issues with certain aspects, you can’t help but have fun with it.

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is in theaters now