‘Ready Or Not 2’ Cranks Up The Carnage In An Undeniably Fun Ride

Louder, bloodier and amped up, Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is undeniably fun, even if it feels unnecessary.

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, aka Radio Silence, the film follows up their seven-year-old sleeper hit, Ready Or Not, one of the earlier entries in the now flooded “eat the rich” subgenre.

Picking up immediately where it left off, Grace (Samara Weaving) is just about done torching her devil-worshipping in-laws’ mansion before she’s thrust back into a deadly double-or-nothing game alongside Faith, her estranged sister (Kathryn Newton), as four elite families hunt them for a shot at ultimate power.

The stakes are higher, the scale is bigger, and Ready Or Not 2 eagerly dials everything else up.

While the story beats lean predictable at times, the cast and action carry the horror comedy.

A modern scream queen, Weaving is once again the anchor, delivering sharp physicality, familiar snark and blood-curdling screams, even if her character feels a bit more muted this time around.

Though, to be fair, she can’t seem to catch a break, or snag a smoke.

Weaving and Newton have undeniable chemistry, playing off each other as scrappy, head-butting sisters, though their history is messy and clumsily laid out.

Newton is a natural, bringing weight and much of the humour, as the abandoned bratty younger sister who’s unwittingly devoted to Grace.

Alongside the two is an ensemble of unbothered or snarling elites who are consistently entertaining and surprising, even when characters verge on broad caricature.

Shawn Hatosy stands out as Titus, one half of the menacing Danforth twins, evolving from a bumbling presence into something palpably terrifying.

Sarah Michelle Gellar is captivating as Ursula Danforth, kicking ass and bringing bite to her role as a sharp powerhouse in tandem with Hatosy, even if the script woefully underuses her.

Maia Jae is delightful to watch as Grace’s former fiancé’s ex fiancée—an unhinged overwrought woman keen to kill Grace, clad in what should’ve been her wedding dress.

Their face-off culminates in one of the film’s most memorable and hilarious moments as they blind each other with pepper spray and swing wildly as Total Eclipse Of The Heart blasts.

Simultaneously, the film gives us one of its most brutal and borderline excessive moments as Titus turns, beating Faith in a show of sheer strength control.

The action is energetic, delivering a steady stream of creatively violent set pieces that stay with you, for the most part.

Visually, the film is confident with playful flourishes, favouring energy over precision and style.

Costumes and productions are striking, giving the world an underworld cult flair, while the resort setting—set at one of the Danforth’s sprawling, lifeless hotels—offers a contained playground that feels underutilised.

The sound design keeps tension simmering, but as it hurtles toward the end, the pacing occasionally stalls and the film cycles through familiar beats that slow momentum.

While the film plays well within the pulpy tone, though the satire leans more overt, in expanding its lore in a John Wick-style escalation, the film dulls its edge, losing its tight ambiguity and focused tension on Weaving that made the original so distinct.

Still, the film knows exactly what it is, delivering enough energy, banter and gore to carry you through.

Horror and action comedy fans, or those who love the original, The Hunt (2020), or the ensemble will find plenty to enjoy.

It may not capture the spark of the original, but it succeeds as a louder, bloodier sequel that doubles down on spectacle, even if it rarely surprises.

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is in theatres now.

★★★★