Write a commentGeneralizations are often wrong. In fact, even the generalization that "generalizations are often wrong" is wrong. Don't think about it too hard.
You'll give yourself a headache. I just did.
The generalization that "Sequels suck", uttered by Randy in Scream 2, is something a lot of people like to say. You'll notice that a lot of people don't like to be pressed on their opinions. Some people just say things and when you say things that immediately disprove what they're saying or offer an alternate theory, they get upset over it. There are some sequels that are abhorrent and don't really justify their existence beyond attempting to squeeze a little more money out of audiences. If you have, for example, all five Indiana Jones films, would you always watch Raiders? Are there reasons instead to watch one of the sequels? After all, Raiders doesn't have someone getting their heart ripped out of their chest like Temple of Doom does.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come kinda straddles this line. Picking up right where the first one left off, Ready or Not 2 continues the story of Grace MacCaulley (Weaving). Last we saw her, she had avoided being sacrificed by her husband's family, resulting in them all exploding. Grace wakes up in a hospital handcuffed to a bed and being questioned by a detective. Her estranged sister Faith (Newton) arrives to check on her. At the same time, Grace surviving the night starts a new game in the cult her husband's family was part of. Grace needs to survive another night of being chased by a new set of psychopaths, this time, with her sister in tow. What follows is a series of near misses between the sisters and the psychopaths.
If you've seen the first one, this all sounds very familiar. And it should. Most sequels sound similar to the original but, as I said before, offer something new. Besides adding a sister, Ready or Not 2 doesn't really have anything in the way of being new. Now, that's not to say the movie isn't extremely fun and funny. I guess you could consider it a horror movie considering all the blood and gore, but it's really a comedy. Given the fact it's directed by the guys behind the original Ready or Not, Scream (2022), Scream VI and Abigail, you know you're in for a good time. The movie is breezy and fun. It's nothing vastly deep, but it aims to entertain and does for the most part.
The qualifier of "for the most part" is because we've seen it all before. When the original Ready or Not came out, I was very excited to see it. Once I did, I didn't hate it but it didn't blow my socks off like people made it seem like it was going to. I've explained before how easily I'm impressed by things so for this to just be kind of a "meh" reaction was a tad concerning. When I heard Radio Silence [the duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett] was going to direct Scream (2022), I had my concerns. To me, it wasn't until they worked on Scream VI and then Abigail did they come into their own.
With this added experience, Ready or Not 2 is slicker than the original. Is it better? By a very slim margin. All the actors seem like they're having fun and the stakes are much higher in this one, but I never really doubted the outcome. Weaving and Newton have great chemistry and Hatosy is a formidable villain, but it's just more of the same. In the future, I feel like I would probably watch this one over the original given the choice, though it's not a high bar to clear.
If you're looking for a good time at the movies, you could do a lot worse. The men behind Radio Silence have become one of my favorite filmmaking teams. I get the feeling that Ready or Not 2 was an opportunity for them to work with a larger budget and work on their skillset. With their upcoming project being the next Brendan Fraser/Rachel Weisz Mummy movie, the practice will be needed. They're competent and creative filmmakers on the rise. Ready or Not 2 may not be The Godfather, Part II, but it definitely does not, as the generalization says, "suck".
Just don't think about it too hard. Either that or stock up on the Tylenol.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026)
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett (AKA Radio Silence)
Cast: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood, Maia Jae
Runtime: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for strong bloody violence, gore, pervasive language and brief drug use)
Rating (out of ****): **1/2
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is currently in theaters.
