Back in 2019, Radio Silence duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett surprised critics and horror fans alike with Ready or Not, a blood-soaked horror-comedy that made everyone question walking down the aisle. In that film, a young bride named Grace (Samara Weaving) found herself on what should’ve been the happiest day of her life, playing a twisted game of hide-and-seek where her spouse’s affluent family hunted her as a part of a wedding night ritual that involved worshipping the devil. At midnight, on the day of the wedding, every new member has to draw a game card from “Le Bail’s puzzle box, with Grace pulling the hide-and-seek card. Should the new member draw that card, the rest of the family has to hunt and ritually sacrifice them before dawn, or they will die instead. Grace survived the grueling ordeal by the end as she puffed on a cigarette with her fiancé’s mansion burning down in the background. It was a fitting conclusion to one of the better horror films released in recent years, and it could’ve all ended there.
However, Ready or Not made a pretty profit at the box office, and the profile of Radio Silence increased considerably following their two Scream films being critically and financially successful. Now we have Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, a sequel not purely driven by greed, but I’m sure the success of the first film didn’t hurt. Radio Silence, along with writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, mulled over ideas of returning to this world, but it all didn’t come together until they worked with Kathryn Newton on their vampire flick Abigail. It was there that they realized that Grace could have a badass younger sister, and this could be a story about that bond, along with expanding the lore of the game. The result is a sequel that is fun in all the right ways and a follow-up that is different enough in its execution that it’s not a lazy retread of its predecessor.
The film picks up from the moment of the mansion fire and finds Grace being rushed to the hospital. The only emergency contact that the hospital can find to notify is Grace’s estranged sister, Faith (Newton), who gets the rundown of Grace’s nuptials gone wrong and believes her sister is going to prison. Meanwhile, Chester Danforth (David Cronenberg), a dying billionaire, makes it clear that the game isn’t just tied to one single family. It’s a global network of ultra-rich psychopaths driven by ritual, and the potential power that comes along with it should they win. Soon, Grace is being hunted in a new game where, should the rich be defeated, they’ll lose all of their fortune. After she refuses to participate, she learns that her sister Faith is also marked for death in this new game, which makes her younger sister believe the crazy story Grace has been telling her, and it finds the sisters who are at odds needing to rely on each other to survive.
The creatives know that they couldn’t just copy the beats of the original, and that includes from its narrative to its style. Ready or Not 2 feels familiar enough to be connected to its predecessor but different enough to stand on its own. The expansion of the mythology is the biggest addition, and it actually adds a devilish layer to the story, realizing that the rich elite are all involved in this twisted game in order to maintain their wealth and status. The story now involves six total families, and they hold a seat on the Council that runs as a secret cabal run by Le Bail, the devil in question that the Le Domas family worshipped in the first film. Grace’s survival signals a new game where the six families are now able to play for the High Seat and have total control of the Council. The scope is expanded so much that Elijah Wood’s character, simply called “The Lawyer,” is needed to oversee the proceedings and make sure all rules are followed.
The new characters added to the mix make for fun additions. Making the biggest impression are Ursula and Titus Danforth (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy), the children of billionaire Chester Danforth, who have seemed to be waiting for their moment to prove themselves and get an opportunity for a place on the High Seat. Gellar and Hatosy make a fun duo, conveying the snobby elitism that drives their characters but also hinting at something darker underneath. They’re siblings, but they’re also at odds with Ursula seemingly having control, but Titus being unhinged enough to turn on her on a dime. The two actors share great chemistry and have their fair share of great and fun moments, with the latter’s foul-mouthed early in the film earning some of the biggest laughs.
Sibling discourse and mistrust is at the heart of Ready or Not 2, and that is what drives the primary story between Grace and Faith, something that Weaving and Newton play beautifully. According to Radio Silence, the pair hadn’t met before filming, but you would never guess it. They feel like sisters from top to bottom, from their looks to the ease with which they bicker, to the moments they realize they need to depend on each other to get out of this twisted Hunger Games on steroids. The reasons for their estrangement are explained, and even if it’s not given enough room to breathe because of the carnage around them, Weaving and Newton’s instant connection makes their dynamic feel authentic. The audience buys it from the jump, and it helps that these two horror movie veterans aren’t afraid to get down and dirty when necessary. They go through it in this film, from physical violence to being splattered with blood, but they do so on equal footing. Weaving carried the final girl torch on her own admirably in the first movie, but her partner in crime this time around is much welcomed.
Speaking of the violence and gore, it’s amplified here, as it should be in any good sequel, raising the stakes. Radio Silence finds the right tone with it, as much of the violence is played for laughs, something difficult to do in a movie with this much blood-letting. The sudden explosions of blood that played so well during the film’s conclusion are sprinkled throughout the sequel thanks to the addition of a new set of rules, which makes the sudden bursts surprising and hilarious when they take place.
What makes the addition of the rules that could lead to sudden death so fun is that even the characters seem shocked when they take place. Most of the humor in the film is of the macabre variety since the audience should feel bad laughing at all this mayhem, but Radio Silence is clever enough in their execution to make us feel ok about it. Besides, not all of the laughs come from the violence. A lot of it is also courtesy of snarky dialogue, something that also seems amped up this time around. Delivering some of the best of it are the supporting characters in the game, including Olivia Cheng’s Wan Chen Xing, Varun Saranga’s Madhu Rajan, and Masa Lizdek’s Martina, the latter of which proves to be a fun highlight late in the game.
By the time the audience reaches the fun yet chaotic conclusion, it becomes clear that the ride Radio Silence has set them up on is one that they’re more than willing to take. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a consistently entertaining deep dive into the twisted games of the elite that generates a similar, but different excitement than that achieved by its predecessor. While it may not be as surprising as the first film, it’s a more than adequate companion piece that makes this game worth playing again.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come hits screens nationwide this Friday courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a consistently entertaining deep dive into the twisted games of the elite that generates a similar, but different excitement than that achieved by its predecessor. While it may not be as surprising as the first film, it's a more than adequate companion piece that makes this game worth playing again.
Hello! My name is Gaius Bolling: movie, TV, and pop culture junkie! The industry has been in my veins since I was a kid and I have carried that on through adulthood. I attended Los Angeles Film Academy and participated in their screenwriting and editing program. From there, I have learned to hone my skills in the world of entertainment journalism. Some of my favorite genres include horror, action, and drama and I hope to share my love of all of this with you.
