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Any time a sequel is announced for a horror film, I tend to grumble about how unnecessary they are. Long-time fans of the genre know what a mixed bag sequels can be. Sometimes, they are amazing, and sometimes, well, less so. If I’m completely honest, I wasn’t really convinced we needed a follow-up to Ready or Not. To be fair, I don’t know if Ready or Not 2: Here I Come was necessary, but I do know that I had a really good time watching it, and I’m not at all mad at it. I will keep major plotline spoilers out of this review, but I will be discussing some of the details of the film. Consider yourself warned.
In Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, “moments after surviving an all-out attack from the Le Domas family, Grace discovers she’s reached the next level of the nightmarish game — and this time with her estranged sister Faith at her side. Grace has one chance to survive, keep her sister alive, and claim the High Seat of the Council that controls the world. Four rival families are hunting her for the throne, and whoever wins rules it all.”
As mentioned in the synopsis, the film starts literally where the first one ended. However, this time around, instead of taking place in one house with one family, the scale is much larger. I appreciated the concept of this being bigger than anyone realized. It ends up giving the film an interesting commentary, given the ongoing current events happening all over the world. 
When it came to the second film, having a larger scale and going harder than its predecessor, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett had some thoughts. For Gillett, according to the production notes, the sequel isn’t escalation for its own sake — it’s escalation with conviction. “We know this world, and now we stretch it in every direction,” he says. Betinelli-Olpin frames the emotional core simply: “If the first movie was an anti-love story, this is earnestly a love story. Full stop. That emotional grounding lets everything else go insane.” I would say that I generally agree with them. The relationship between Grace and Faith works well as a foil to the villainous pair, Ursula and Titus Danforth.
Speaking of the villains of the film, instead of one family, we learn that the Le Domas family was part of a global cabal of wealthy and connected families who all have varying levels of evil. The cast of villains really makes this film feel more like a dark action comedy with horror elements than a straight horror film. The pacing also felt like that of an action movie. Every time that Grace and Faith encounter any of the villains, I was reminded of films like The Raid or John Wick. I would go as far as to say that the comedy in this entry is better than the horror elements.
While Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton do a great job in their roles, the character actors are where this film shines for me. One of the biggest highlights of the cast was Elijah Wood. He has really leaned into playing “creepy little dudes” as of late (ie, The Toxic Avenger) and is just so good at it. He steals every scene he’s in. I love seeing him in this type of henchman role! Kevin Durand is a character actor whom I always enjoy when he shows up in films, and this was no exception. His role was brief but funny. Also, shout out to David Cronenberg’s cameo as Chester Danforth.
All in all, I think Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a good time, and for me, a bit of an improvement from the first. It sets itself apart in the right amount to keep it fresh, but also maintains enough of the original to keep fans happy. Seeing it theatrically is worthwhile because this is the type of movie best enjoyed with a crowd who is along for this crazy ride. Overall, it might not have been strictly necessary, but I’m glad we got to have a good time in this world again.
My Rating: 3.5/5
