Faith MacCaullay: “I’m really not used to people combusting all over me.”
It almost felt like Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Ready or Not 2: Here I Come – a sequel to the original horror-comedy hit, were playing the very game it references in the title, as it has been a surprisingly long seven years since the original was released in theatres.
Despite the wait, this one starts up literally right where the first concluded, with smoking survivor Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving) being brought to a hospital, after which the police would like to question her on all the Le Domas carnage. But, unknowingly to anyone except a select few, her defeat of the satanic gaming family has set in motion a most unique event that will bring together the other elite families that are members of the same Council (that, for all intents and purposes, run the world) – who are all called forth by the head of the table, Chester Danforth (David Cronenberg – yes, the famed horror director).
With all vying for the ring Chester has long possessed that has kept him atop of the hierarchy for decades, Grace’s disgruntled sister Faith (Kathryn Newton – Freaky; Pokémon Detective Pikachu) unknowingly walks into the most dangerous game after being phoned as her emergency contact.
Forcing the two unsisterly young women into a life or death situation, the families from around the world have arrived at the same posh wedding venue and golf course where the ladies are being held. With similar rules from the last go around – this time everyone will be aided by the keeper of the rule-book, the simply named Lawyer (Elijah Wood – The Lord of the Rings trilogy). . . I know what you’re thinking, you can’t get much more satanic than an attorney. And instead of the Le Domas’, this time they’ll be attempting to dodge the Danforth twins: Ursula and Titus (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy), the litigious Wan Chen Xing (Olivia Cheng), the persistent Viraj Rajan (Nadeem Umar-Khitab), as well as the lousy sniper Ignacio El Caído (Nestor Carbonell). . . with each of them having family reserves lounging at the resort in wait – just in case their head family member is eliminated before dawn.
Opening up the Ready or Not landscape, like every sequel, this comes with some positives and negatives. Providing a wider world to play within (think new location, different characters, and weapons), it also takes away some of the taut, tight family-centric atmosphere of the original, making it more than a bit convoluted. . . so much so that even the Lawyer doesn’t have some of the answers in his sacred tome.
Despite that, it still brings some greatest hits from the 2019 edition, while creating enough new ideas to keep things relatively fresh. Featuring some horror-filled moments, it also mixes them with those memorable touches of comedy. . . much coming from the dynamic family members resting at the resort (shots taken at elitist culture, youth cellphone usage, and much more), like the robe and poncho wearing Kip Danforth (Dan Beirne), as well as a surprise coming from the twenty-something Francesca El Caído (Maia Jae).
Filmizon.com’s Nikolai Adams with Elijah Wood, who plays the Lawyer in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
Though not as slick and polished as the original, Ready of Not 2: Here I Come is a fun, more than serviceable horror comedy followup. Adding plenty of complicated family dynamics – think not only of the sisters, but also the twins and a few memorable married couple scenes, all of this provides both realism and humour to the characters. It is also worth noting that this film was shot in Toronto with limited sets – meaning everything looks beautifully finished but has a bit of an understandably eerie atmosphere at the same time (if you know the city, you’ll spot places like the Fairmont Royal York and Rosedale Golf Club). Lastly, keep an eye out for an enjoyable cameo from the great Kevin Durand (Mystery, Alaska; 2025’s The Naked Gun) as the coked-up wildcard Bill Wilkinson. So, have some faith that this long awaited sequel will ring true, for it has still got plenty of gory grace.