Zane's take at the Cinema's

The first Ready or Not caught many people by surprise, including myself, back in 2019. It was really the first movie where Samara Weaving could competently lead a movie, especially when you consider that Ready or Not features a huge ensemble of actors. By being this embellishment of Clue and The Purge, Ready or Not was this wildly entertaining horror comedy that delivered great satirical comedy and a proper balance of horror tropes. While a sequel seemed dubious because of how low the box-office numbers were, there was a ton of room to play with because of the world that directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett had created, and with them going on different paths by tackling two of the latest Scream movies and Abigail, it was either a longer wait to see another Ready or Not or never see one at all.

How well Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is irrelevant; the 7-year wait for this follow-up didn’t disappoint. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a bloodier, more consequential and deeper take on the world of the rich and the devilish cults that are featured. The lore in this world is amped up, the themes are there (maybe not as strongly presented as the first), and it was another rush of entertainment to see Samara Weaving give another great performance and to see her take down evil and vile rich people. Instead of this being an exact replica of the first movie, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett understood that to keep it consistent in tone and familiarity, the completely new setting and the addition of new characters along the way kept things more exciting and refreshing.

Samara Weaving is great in just about anything she’s in, but it’s befuddling that she’s not leading more movies and kicking off potential franchises. She’s been doing great in smaller, lesser-known projects, but the Ready or Not movies are when she delivers her best work yet. It’s almost impossible to think of anyone else playing Grace than her because it’s tailor-made for her. The screams, the emotion, the shakiness, and the physical exertion she infuses into this character are different than any other female character in various horror/thriller franchises. Even with the additions of Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood and David Cronenberg, she steals the show from beginning to end. That said, having Kathryn Newton in the movie as the sister to Grace gave it a more compelling factor. While there’s so much complicated territory between the two, it’s a lot more tender and nuanced than expected.

Of all the new actors thrown into this chaos, Sarah Michelle Gellar was probably the best and the one who stood out the most. The only downside with David Cronenberg is that he’s maybe in the movie for two whole minutes. Elijah Wood was great, but maybe the only reason why Sarah Michelle Gellar gets the pass is because it’s just great to see her in another project like this. She’s an absolute treasure, especially during the late 90s and early 2000s, and seeing her in this reminded you of that. She was the one character apart from the ensemble that was given the most to play with. But just like in the first Ready or Not, you don’t like most of the rich people. Elijah Wood and Sarah Michelle Gellar are probably the two most charismatic and likeable characters, but the rest of them are so despicable that you want Grace to take them out. As far as consistency goes, Ready or Not 2 didn’t miss a beat on that one crucial element.

Something that’s definitely increased was the level of violence. The first Ready or Not is tame compared to Ready or Not 2. This sequel is far more gruesome and gnarly with the gore and blood, and it’s made the ramifications more impactful. But one thing about Ready or Not 2 that does better is the action sequences felt bigger and larger. It’s not an action-packed ride the whole way through, but the sequel doubles down on its level of visceralness, and it’s in response to how effective and tension-induced the action set pieces were in this movie.

Without spoiling too much, the way the movie was wrapping up seemed to be heading towards shaky ground and a jarring finale. Just like the first movie, Ready or Not 2 delivers a cathartic, hilarious, and satisfying conclusion. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come might not be as good as the first film, but it’s at least on the same level of quality. Samara Weaving still crushes it because no matter who else is thrown in there, she’ll be the front center of the movie. This is a world that has so much room to play with, and as long as you have Samara Weaving and the directors from Radio Silence involved, there’s always room for potential.