Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come Review - Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton's Film Is As Ambitious As It Is Uneven
· Free Press Journal
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Cast: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Nestor Carbonell
Where to watch: In theatres
Rating: 3 stars
Watching this sequel feels a bit like being invited back to a party that has grown richer, louder, and far less interested in manners. This horror-thriller, laced with dark comedy and biting satire, picks up almost exactly where its predecessor left off, binding Grace’s hard-won survival to a new ordeal, this time with her estranged sister, Faith, at her side. What begins as a fight to stay alive quickly escalates into a vicious contest for power, as the game expands beyond one cursed family into a global ritual governed by the ultra-wealthy. Survival is no longer enough; victory now carries the promise of absolute control.
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The film leans into this escalation with gusto. Its satire of elite excess is broad but effective, turning violence into spectacle and entitlement into ritual. Yet, in widening its canvas, it occasionally loses the tautness that once defined it. The storytelling grows dense, sometimes mistaking mythology for momentum. Even so, there is a wicked pleasure in its refusal to play safe. The horror is not merely in the bloodshed but in the casual entitlement that fuels it, though the film occasionally lingers too long on brutality, testing the limits of its own irreverence.
Actors’ Performance
Samara Weaving returns as Grace with a performance that is feral, funny, and visibly worn by survival. She pushes the “final girl” into something more volatile, carrying both fury and fatigue with conviction. Kathryn Newton, as her estranged sister Faith, offers a steadier counterpoint, though the writing does not fully sell their shared past. Their dynamic works best in moments of shared panic rather than forced sentiment.
Among the antagonists, Shawn Hatosy’s Titus Danforth stands out, shifting from smug entitlement to chilling menace with unnerving ease. Sarah Michelle Gellar, as Ursula, compliments him with icy restraint, their sibling dynamic adding a sharp edge to the film’s power games. Elijah Wood, as the sardonic legal overseer, injects a sly humour, his quiet amusement mirroring the audience’s own disbelief. The extended ensemble leans into caricature without collapsing into parody, sustaining the film’s satirical tone.
Music and Aesthetics
The film trades intimacy for scale, staging its horror across opulent, exaggerated landscapes that mirror the excess it critiques. The aesthetic is deliberately garish, amplifying both satire and spectacle. Action sequences are kinetic, though occasionally overextended.
The soundtrack leans into irony, pairing familiar tunes with brutal imagery to heighten both humour and discomfort. While effective, these choices sometimes echo the film’s broader tendency toward excess.
FPJ Verdict
This film leans unapologetically into dark comedy and satire, delivering a sequel that is as ambitious as it is uneven. It sacrifices precision for scale, but not without offering moments of sharp, subversive entertainment. For those willing to embrace its excesses, it remains a gleefully chaotic ride. For others, it may feel like a game that overstays its welcome.