As a huge fan of Ready or Not, I had managed my expectations to be cautiously optimistic for this sequel. Ready or Not 2 is a direct continuation of the first film's events, following the wider consequences of the annihilation of the Le Domas family which sees Grace teaming up with her estranged sister Faith (played by Kathryn Newton) in a bigger and bloodier game of hide and seek as they battle it out with four other rival families to claim the High Seat of the Council who controls the world. Straight off the bat, I unfortunately have to deduct a star from my rating purely for how ridiculous and far-fetched the plot set-up actually is, managing to be both insanely overcomplicated and so riddled with plot holes, I was taken out of the film's first act.
One of the best parts of the first film is how self-contained it is, with all of the set pieces taking place on the eerie grounds of the Le Domas family's gothic mansion, giving the film a tension-fuelled and claustrophobic atmosphere. The second film's attempt to double the scale is thwarted by having half the assurance, with the more sprawling setting feeling ultimately less scary and the intrigue of the plot developments being overshadowed by a clunky and exposition-heavy execution. Sarah Michelle Geller and Shawn Hatosy play the film's main antagonists in the form of Ursula and Titus Danforth, siblings competing for the High Chair seat, and whilst the actors have fun with their roles, the development of their characters is poorly written and inconsistent across the film's duration. The rest of the competing families provide some entertaining comedic moments but ultimately lack enough development to be anything more than disposable side characters.
It is an anchor amongst the madness which gives the film a renewed identity...
All that being said, I did still have a lot of fun with Ready or Not 2, particularly because Samara Weaving's Grace remains magnetic and compelling as the film's lead. Her star power ensues from the first film, reinforcing why Grace is one of the strongest final girls in modern horror cinema and the introduction of the charismatic Kathryn Newton as her sister is also a very welcome addition to the plot, with their sisterly dynamic giving the film a real sense of heart and direction. It is an anchor amongst the madness which gives the film a renewed identity compared to the first film and helps us delve deeper into the character of Grace, her background and her motivations.
Though there is a distinct toning down of the horror components in comparison to the first film, with only one jump scare to be counted across the sequel's duration, there is plenty of well-executed set pieces and highly entertaining gore - especially one fight scene involving pepper spray and Bonnie Tyler - to keep viewers entertained. Moving into the third act, the film also moves in a more unconventional direction than initially expected which kept me guessing through to the brilliantly gory finale and helped elevate the sequel to offer more than a simple rehash of Ready of Not.
All in all, I walked away from this film feeling it was more of a cautionary tale in learning that sometimes less is more, than a sequel that needed to be made. Whilst I can appreciate Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett's attempt to sky-rocket the plot onto a greater scale than the first film, the key components of urgency and intensity needed for film about being in constant, claustrophobic pursuit are lost in the process, leaving me almost wishing I had just rewatched the first film again instead. Still, Weaving and Newton's performances cannot be faulted as the main driving force behind upholding the film's status as an entertaining, if not strictly necessary, sequel. 3 out of 5 stars, then, for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, still a recommendation for fans of the first film craving another gory hide and seek fix.