After surviving a dangerous game of Hide and Seek and defeating the La Domas family, Grace finds herself immediately drawn into a new game with even higher stakes, where representatives from various wealthy families must kill her to claim the High Seat of the Council that controls the world. Picking up right where Ready or Not left off – quite literally – Ready or Not 2: Here I Come wastes no time throwing poor Grace back into the fire.
Samara Weaving slips effortlessly back into her role as Grace, becoming a compelling final girl, both messy and unstoppable. As Grace’s estranged sister, Faith, Kathryn Newton fits perfectly into the Ready or Not universe, and the duo is the film’s strength. They have incredible chemistry, and their rapport is so natural that you completely believe they’re related. Adding Grace’s sister into the mix certainly adds an emotional anchor while upping the stakes for Grace.
I was relieved to find that directors Tyler Gillet and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin didn’t just rehash the first film. Yes, Hide and Seek is still technically being played, but it feels more like The Most Dangerous Game than Hide and Seek. The expansion of the mythology created in the first film leans further into absurdist satire, with four rival families competing for the ultimate seat of power.
The casting impresses as much as it did in the first film. David Cronenberg appears briefly as a rather creepy patriarch pulling the strings, and Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy are the main draw as his children, aiming to maintain the High Council seat by killing Grace first. It’s clear everyone had a blast in their roles, including Elijah Wood as the mysterious representative of Le Bail (the devil, obviously). The kills are also more ridiculous and savage, and yes, more entertaining. And oh… there’s so much blood. So. Much. Blood.
The film isn’t without its faults, however. I think the broader world-building can occasionally feel overcomplicated, and some of the family members didn’t feel as well developed or as interesting as the Le Domases in the first film. But ultimately, the dark humor lands, the set pieces are inventive, and Samara Weaving continues to charm as the determined Grace. I think if you’re a fan of the first film, you’ll be pleased to find that the sequel doesn’t lose the scrappy energy of what made Ready or Not so entertaining.
