READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME is a 2026 dark comedy horror film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, from a screenplay by Bettinelli-Olpin, Guy Busick, and R. Christopher Murphy. It is the sequel to the 2019 film READY OR NOT (preview and trailer here), which Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett also directed.
After surviving one deadly game, Grace (Samara Weaving) and her sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) must now outrun four rival families competing for a powerful throne - winner takes all.
The cast includes Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, Kevin Durand, Olivia Cheng, David Cronenberg, and Elijah Wood.
READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME made its debut in theaters on March 20th, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.
Literally picking up where the first film left off on the front steps of the burning mansion, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME is the sequel we were all hoping for. I really enjoyed the first movie so I went back and gave it a rewatch right before seeing the new movie, so it was awesome to see that it was such a seamless transition. Needless to say the first film ended in a way that took many people by surprise, but I will say right now the idea of these people “spontaneously combusting” is a driving force of the sequel.
In my opinion this part of the film adds to the dark comedy piece of it all, and it also brings with it a supernatural element to the film which I loved. At the end of READY OR NOT right before Grace exits the burning house she catches a glimpse of what seems to be the ghost of the man pulling the strings. The idea of this is a big part of the story for READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME and I can say without a doubt this is very much a good thing.
Grace, thinking her living nightmare is finally over, wakes up in a hospital bed handcuffed and soon comes to the very unfortunate realization that the rich and psychotic family she married into is far from done with her. Grace’s estranged sister Faith decides to show up and support her sister at the worst possible time as they both find themselves in a fight for their lives. We are quickly introduced to easily one of my favorite characters, a man known only as The Lawyer played by Elijah Wood, who is the man that ensures all rules are followed accordingly.
Similar to the first film, the ultimate goal is to kill Grace, who now has the help of her sister, as she is now the last remaining member of the Le Domas family. She is to be hunted by each head of family using only specifically sanctioned weapons, and whoever manages to killer her assumes the seat of ultimate power. Needless to say Grace is underestimated yet again, and the hunt is that much more fun this time around.
READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME is honestly everything I could hope for from a sequel, and then some. The first film set the stage for the premise perfectly so this time around the fun starts right away so it really doesn’t miss a beat. I thought the feel of the film was great, and the dark comedy element was very much prevalent once again and I honestly laughed out loud quite a bit. Having great characters was that much more important this time around and they absolutely nailed it. READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME is hilarious as well thanks to the dynamic between all of these families each convinced they have what it takes to win it all.
I already mentioned Elijah Wood who was awesome, and Samara Weaving once again proves herself as the ultimate Scream Queen. I thought the other new additions were fantastic as well including Kathryn Newton who had great chemistry with Weaving. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Animal Kingdom’s Shawn Hatosy were so damn good together. I really liked veteran actor Nestor Carbonell in this as well, he always seems to set the tone with the intensity of his characters. Also a shoutout to a Kevin Durand, Nadeem Umar-Khitab, Dan Beirne, Olivia Cheng, Antony Hall, Varun Saranga, and of course horror legend David Cronenberg.
At the end of the day READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME is a dark comedy horror film that has a blast with the craziness. In the original film it all centered on this one family, but the new film takes everything to the next level as it becomes a battle for the power that comes along with the top spot. It turns out the power and influence knows no bounds as the power spreads to world politics and beyond, adding additional intrigue for viewers as far as why these people would go to these lengths to kill Grace.
THE VERDICT
Embracing an absurd premise and stepping it up a notch with great new characters and bigger stakes, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME is fun from start to finish and everything you could possibly want from a sequel. If you enjoyed the first film you will absolutely love this movie so be sure to check it out in theaters. I doubt they will do a 3rd movie, but if somehow they feel the desire I would absolutely watch it.
TED TAKES RATING - 8.1/10
READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.