Ready or Not left us on a mic drop of a finale. While it seemed there was little else to say about Samara Weaving’s Grace, it did leave a few balls in the air. When we last saw Grace, she was wearing a blood-soaked wedding dress as a mansion burned down with some of the world’s richest and most powerful people inside. Wouldn’t the authorities have a few questions, and how the hell would Grace explain herself? We didn’t necessarily need a sequel to provide answers, but here it is. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is more of what the first film gave us, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The film does offer a few new ingredients, namely in its supporting cast. Grace awakens chained up in the hospital, where she’s soon reunited with Kathryn Newton as her estranged sister, Faith. While her in-laws blew up in the last film, Grace inherits a series of new problems as she’s taken hostage along with her sister. Elijah Wood shines as a mysterious lawyer who informs Grace that her survival has triggered another game of hide and seek, this time involving several wealthy families. Whoever kills Grace becomes the new head of their satanic organization. Grace can also win, although if she doesn’t participate, Faith will pay the price.
While Ready or Not 2 doesn’t drastically shake up the formula, it doesn’t feel like the filmmakers are simply making the same movie over again. Along with Newton, we get some welcome additions like Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy as twins determined to seize control. David Cronenberg also has a memorable cameo as their father, who can call a ceasefire with a mere phone call. Néstor Carbonell and Maia Jae stand out among the other players hunting Grace and Faith down. Weaving and Newton share a nice chemistry, even if their sibling rivalry is reminiscent of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega’s in the fifth and sixth Screammovies. Unsurprisingly, these movies all have directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett in common.
That said, Ready or Not 2 is a much better sequel than Scream 7, which Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett didn’t direct. Ready or Not 2 makes me wish they had. Where it felt like Scream 7 was running on autopilot, there’s still life in the Ready or Not franchise. There’s also still death, with more than a few inventive kills. The “eat the rich” message is running the risk of getting old, but considering that David Zaslav stands to make somewhere between $500 million and just under $900 million in the Paramount deal, the commentary remains worth exploring. The commentary doesn’t overshadow the film’s sense of fun either, delivering the goofy gore we crave.
The climax, in particular, is a highlight with twists and turns that keep the audience on their toes. For a film that borrows a fair deal from what came before, Ready or Not 2 nonetheless keeps us guessing where it’s going. The results are consistently entertaining thanks to the charm of the performances and spirited direction. It’s a game well worth playing if you enjoyed the first film. Maybe if we ever get Ready or Not 3, they’ll work Margot Robbie and Emma Mackey into Grace’s extended family for another round.