Filmmaking team Radio Silence have made some of my favorite modern horror films, including 2022’s Scream and Scream VI, so how would they approach a long-awaited follow-up to their masterful 2019 genre flick, Ready or Not? The ending of that film felt pretty final, with Grace the bride (Samara Weaving) being the sole survivor of carnage at the hands of her new family, the Le Domases. Somehow, the creatives find a way to continue Grace’s story by widening the scope of the mayhem, courtesy of mysterious Mr. Le Bail. Similar to sequels like Halloween II and Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Ready or Not 2 picks up from exactly where the previous ended. But Grace can’t even finish a cigarette before she ends up thrown back into the chaos. Delivering much of the same energy as its predecessor, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come thrives on a compelling new ensemble—and plenty of nastiness, courtesy of creative gurus, Radio Silence.
Grace’s emergency contact–her estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton)–shows up at the hospital as Grace gets questioned by authorities. By the end of an extended hospital scene, Grace suits back up in her bridal gown and a sensible pair of sneakers. Grace’s survival has triggered a clause that opens up a seat of immense power on a devilish council. The only way for the sisters to get out alive is to survive until dawn… again. The families in the fray must fight for that power, and whoever kills Grace walks away the biggest winner. Opening up the playing field to multiple families adds a fresh crop of gamers to truly make a feast of even the smallest performances. The best are siblings Ursula and Titus, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy. Their relationship gets far more definition than Grace and Faith, becoming the MVPs of the roster of baddies. Ursula allows for Radio Silence to lean into Gellar’s natural talents as a performer, and Hatosy channels the vibes of his iconic character Pope from Animal Kingdom as a troubled sibling battling for power.
While Kathryn Newton and Samara Weaving have excellent chemistry together, the actual relationship between Faith and Grace comes off a little confusing. Their bond is almost a carbon copy of that between Sam and Tara Carpenter from Radio Silence’s Scream films, but lacking the depth of a strong catalyst. They have something in their past that caused a rift, however, the script avoids getting into what actually caused their issues. Still, both Faith and Grace separately get badass moments to shine. When Grace gets her hands on a shotgun, she steps into the final girl hall of fame with literal guns blazing. If her character stays stagnant for most of the movie, Weaving truly gets to shine later on. Meanwhile, Faith embraces a world of murder and conniving social climbing without ever crumbling. Faith’s strength is played splendidly by Kathyrn Newton in her second go-round for the Radio Silence universe. Newton was a bit wilder, and a hell of a lot more blonde in Abigail; in this sequel, she makes a perfect opposite to Grace’s determined energy.
By the time the final act rolls around, Ready or Not 2 reclaims its footing in a nasty finale that closes out with an exclamation mark. It still would have been nice to give more depth to Le Bail. His history/backstory never gets expanded upon, leading us to know exactly the same amount of information about him as we did the first go round. If they make a third, let’s see more Le Bail! His mythology could use expanding beyond what we see from his lawyer. In that simple role, Elijah Wood shines, playing a boring character on paper with a sort of deadpan energy as he tells people their entire bloodline will be wiped out.
Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murray, who wrote the first, return to pen this one, with Radio Silence back directing. Were Busick and Murray inspired by NBC’s iconic soap opera Passions with the Faith/Grace names? They leave plenty of room for fun hijinks and over-the-top explosions, catchy needle drops, and that same zany energy that supercharged the first movie. It does take awhile to get there though–the first act especially can be clunky in setting up the new (but almost exactly the same) status quo. Overall, Ready or Not 2 remains a hugely fun sequel that gives fans of the first more of the same–and plenty of Samara’s Grace! While it could have used a deeper dive into the mythology and a more defined exploration of the sisterly dynamic, Radio Silence deliver a successful attempt to follow up an arguable modern horror masterpiece.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come explodes in fireworks of blood and viscera, now playing in theaters everywhere.
