Movie Review - Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Genre: Horror/ Comedy
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Elijah Wood
 
Description: Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving) battles old wounds with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) while rival occult dynasties hunt them through a deadly contest that promises power, survival and betrayal before dawn.
 
Review: “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” is a louder and more grotesque sequel to the 2019 surprise hit. While the original has a small-scale, claustrophobic atmosphere, the second installments opts for more chaos, blood and action, complete with an excellent cast.

The film picks up exactly where “Ready or Not” left us. Grace has just survived her in-laws during a deadly game of hide and seek. With the house burned down, the police is questioning Grace, since there were also human remains found in the house. And the blood on her dress is not hers. While she is being escorted to the police station, she is being hunted again. This time her estranged sister Faith is with her, while rival occult dynasties will hunt them down in a deadly contest for the ultimate power.

Samara Weaving was already the highlight of the first film and there is no difference for the sequel. As the indestructible Grace you are constantly rooting for her and this is the ultimate “good-for-her” story.

The sequel is so unhinged, it’s very fast paced, brutally violent and very gory. If you loved the first movie, you will not automatically like this one. But if you loved the first and appreciated the dark humor from the first, and don’t mind adding gallons of blood and over-the-top action, you will definitely have a good time. But it’s missing the suspense and simple structure from the first installment, and that might be a reason you wouldn’t like it. For that reason I believe the first movie was better, but I highly enjoyed “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come”.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Ready or Not

Director: Matt Bettinello-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Genre: Thriller/ Horror/ Comedy
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Samara Weaving, Mark O’Brien, Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell

Description: A bride’s (Samara Weaving) wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game.

Review: “Ready or Not” is entirely set on and around the estate of a ealthy family that owns its fortune in large part to the production of board games. Young Grace will know this too, because as soon as she wants to start the wedding night with her new husband Alex, a rather special tradition intervenes. It prescribes that someone who marries into this family has to play a randomly chosen game on the wedding night with the other family members. In Grace’s case this turns out to be hide-and-seek. She is told beforehand that participating is more important than winning, but in this game losing turns out to not be an option either. There is a rather mature variant being played: Grace is the only one who has to hide, after which the whole in-law family tries to find her… and finish her off.
An explanation for this thirst of blood lies in the conviction of the family members that they are cursed and will die if they do not catch their prey before sunrise. Well, as if that initial premise wasn’t bizarre enough. But somewhere the film can hardly be judged on this utterly idiotic premise, because in its banality it is so wonderfully simple. And I did love this concept. The film doesn’t pretend to be high art for a moment (although the set design does look like a living piece of art), so let’s not try to make it that way.
The fact that the viewer remains in limbo right up to the last scene is the main reason the film works.
Samara Weaving is without a doubt the best thing about “Ready or Not”. Fairy unknown with the bigger audience, Weaving does a fine job in carrying this film and her character is fantastic. She had to undergo a lot of and we see her character develop withing the runtime of the film. With mentioning character development, there is also the downside of the film. Most of the characters don’t have depth and their motives are a vague.
I always like it when something goes against your expectations. But I think everyone was pleasantly surprised by “Ready or Not”. I love a good thriller/ horror film that is combined with some good laughs. It’s a definite fun time and an original premise. No masterpiece by all means, but super fun for the horror fans among us.

Rating: 3,5 / 5