Out of all the films to potentially get a sequel, Ready or Not (2019) isn’t exactly the first to come to mind – mainly due to the original ending in a blanket of blood and gore, with every character obliterated excluding Samara Weaving’s final girl, Grace. However, after seven years, directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (collectively known as Radio Silence) return with what feels like the best possible rendition of an otherwise unnecessary follow-on.
Ready or Not 2 picks up exactly where the first film left off – Grace lighting a cigarette on the steps of her former in-laws’ burning mansion after their failed attempt at a sacrificial game of hide-and-seek. The sequel takes an interesting approach, and asks a rather obvious question: what actually happens to the sole survivor of a horror massacre? In answer, we find Grace handcuffed to a hospital bed while being bombarded with whos and whats from a puzzled detective (Grant Nickalls), and her estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton). Pretty certain that she’ll end up in prison, returning writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy are quick to push us back into the action.
This time around, due to Grace’s unlikely survival and the rather messy end to the Le Domases, a clause is triggered amongst the council of devil-dealing dynasties. Their lawyer, played by Elijah Wood, explains that her game isn’t over. Instead, she must participate in a second, double-or-nothing round of hide-and-seek, alongside her sister, against the heads of each powerful Satanic family in battle for global domination. Generally, the same rules apply – survive until dawn, and she wins.
Here I Come follows a similar blueprint to what made its predecessor such a hit. While new rules are introduced – including an expanded choice of weapons – along with a whole new set of rich Satanists, the film occasionally drifts from the simplicity that made the first film so effective. That being said, it still manages to feel both comfortingly familiar and just about inventive enough to justify its return.
The cat-and-mouse game leans further into absurdity, delivering more experimental kills. From death by industrial washing machine, a blinded battle between ex-wife and ex-fiancée to the sound of Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, and some casual sibling-on-sibling brutality, the film still holds that mix of satire and dark humour that defines Ready or Not.
What ultimately carries the film is Weaving herself – effortless slipping back into her role as Grace. This time she is less reactive and far more proactive, evolving from reluctant bride to a hardened survivor – still clinging tightly to that “final girl” title.
As far as sequels go, this is an extremely entertaining one. While it may not fully recapture the brilliance of the original, it understands perfectly what made audiences fall in love with Grace’s blood-soaked story in the first place. If nothing else, it’s a follow-on that understands the assignment: go bigger, bloodier, and just self-aware enough to get away with it.
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