By Jacob Cameron

“Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” is the sequel to 2019’s Ready or Not. Radio Silence (Matt Bettineli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett) returned to what they had started 6 years prior. Along with a returning Samara Weaving. While horror sequels have a dubious reputation, this is thankfully one of the good ones.

“Ready or Not 2” picks up immediately after the end of Ready or Not. Grace MacCaually, played by Samara Weaving, finds herself facing down more of the families she took down in the first film. Four families who belong to the Le Bail satanic cult. Grace’s actions have triggered a hunt to fill the power vacuum that she created. Additionally, she must protect her estranged sister Faith, played by Kathryn Newton.

Just like the first film, there are a lot of fun action sequences. The film takes place at a resort, and the space is used to great effect. Specifically, a great sequence in a ballroom and the finale in the basement. Additionally, the gore levels more than match the levels set with the first film. It plays into a running joke throughout the film.

Samara Weaving is just as great as she was in the first film. She does have good chemistry with Kathryn Newton. Not much is known as to why the two became estranged minus some lines of dialogue. It would’ve been nice to know more about the relationship between the sisters. As what we know about them is not that much.

Elijah Wood shines in a minor role as the lawyer of the Le Bail cult and all-encompassing enterprises. David Cronenberg, director of Scanners and The Fly, has a brief role. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy play a pair of feuding siblings and are both good in their roles. One of the biggest complaints comes in regards to Hatosy’s character. He starts out as someone who is constantly undermined and then suddenly becomes dominant in no time whatsoever. The character goes through a noticeable shift in character that comes out of nowhere. 

In general, this movie tries to have a bigger scope, and it doesn’t always work. The families are painted as those who hold near unlimited power but regularly make basic mistakes when trying to take out the sisters. As an example, one of the heads of the families tries to shoot Grace with an RPG, only for the RPG to be pointed the wrong way. This is an attempt at commentary of some kind, but it comes across as half-baked. But the families are despicable enough so that, when they meet their fates, it is quite satisfying. 

At the end of the day, this film does suffer from trying to make things bigger. But there is enough here to serve as an effective sequel. The performances are all solid, the action is at the level of the original, and there’s enough substance to connect the two films. 

4 stars