There’s a certain chaotic magic to 2019’s Ready or Not that felt lightning-in-a-bottle – a savage, tightly wound satire wrapped in a gleefully bloody game of survival. So walking into Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, I wasn’t necessarily convinced a sequel was needed. And yet, while it doesn’t quite recapture that original bite, it does enough to justify dragging Samara Weaving‘s bloodied bride Grace back into another nightmare.
Picking up immediately after the first film, the decision to avoid a time jump is one of the sequel’s smartest moves. There’s no reset, no soft reboot – just momentum. Weaving remains the film’s secret weapon, grounding the absurdity with a performance that’s equal parts trauma, fury, and dry wit. Grace isn’t reinvented here, but she doesn’t need to be – Weaving knows exactly how to sharpen the character’s edge, especially when she’s once again thrown into a world of obscene wealth and even more obscene cruelty.
The biggest shift comes from scale. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett expand the mythology beyond a single deranged family, introducing a global network of ultra-rich sociopaths bound by ritual and power. It leans into familiar territory, but there’s still fun to be had in how ridiculous it all gets. The rules, the hierarchy, the sheer excess of it… it’s indulgent, if a little overcooked.
Bringing in Kathryn Newton as Grace’s estranged sister, Faith, adds a fresh dynamic that the film leans on heavily. Their chemistry is easy and believable, and the forced proximity between them gives the sequel its emotional throughline – something the original didn’t really need, but this one benefits from. It’s messy, occasionally heartfelt, and often very funny.
Then there’s the supporting chaos. Sarah Michelle Gellar is an absolute standout, delivering venom with precision but also hinting at something deeper beneath the surface. Watching her trade barbs (and worse) with on-screen twin brother Shawn Hatosy is a reminder of how much personality this franchise can pack into even its most unhinged characters. And yes, David Cronenberg showing up adds an extra layer of horror pedigree – even if the film doesn’t fully capitalise on how wild that presence could’ve been.
What the sequel maybe lacks is the insurgent sneer that made the first film feel so sharp. This time, the satire is broader, the targets more obvious, and the shock factor slightly diluted by familiarity. The kills are still inventive (and often gloriously gross in the case of one involving an industrial washing machine), but they don’t land with quite the same punch.
Still, there’s something undeniably entertaining about it all. It plays less like a direct continuation and more like a twisted expansion pack – bigger, louder, and a bit messier. It may not be essential, but it’s far from disposable. If the original was a perfectly aimed dagger, Here I Come is a blood-splattered sledgehammer. Not as precise, but still capable of doing some serious damage.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Ready or Not2 : Here I Come is now screening in Australian theatres, before opening in the United States on March 20th.
