Ready or Not 2: Here I Come 2026 Movie Review
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come fully understood its assignment and delivers everything I loved about the first film, and more. Samara Weaving is back as Grace, who managed to survive the wedding night from hell, literally escaping a family of devil worshipers and causing them all to explode. Part two picks up the story immediately after the events of 2019’s (wait, how has it been seven years) Ready or Not, but this time, she’s teamed up with her younger sister Faith, played by the always-energetic Kathryn Newton (Lisa Frankenstein).
It seems the Satanic family Grace married into was only one in a cabal of families who secretly control the world. And by taking out her in-laws she has unwittingly set off a power struggle among the world’s wealthiest narcissists and weirdos. Instead of a single family trying to kill her, this time Grace has to fend off a half dozen or so.
The film takes about ten minutes to get viewers up to speed with the story (there’s not a lot you need to know) and then we’re right into the action. The momentum increases throughout the entire film, with even more of the squishy exploding people we came to love in part one. There was only one part before the last act where the action let up for about five minutes, which gave me a chance to catch my breath, then it was hot and heavy back into the blood. It’s funny, because the directors, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, actually mentioned this in the post-premiere session, discussing how important the scene was, but how they struggled to keep it as concise as possible.
The stellar cast here is fantastic. Elija Wood has carved out such an interesting career, producing and advocating for independent genre films, while still taking on quirky and oddball roles such as The Lawyer here, who works exclusively for this group of families, managing all the rules and regulations that accompany world domination and whatnot. If there’s a third installment in this series, I suspect it will hinge on his character.
I was stoked to see one of my favorite directors, David Cronenberg, in an early scene of the movie! It’s more than a cameo: he’s crucial to setting off a series of events while also imparting needed backstory. I love seeing him pop up here and there, going all the way back to Jason X (2001).
Kathryn Newton is a perfect sidekick for Samara weaving. Faith is sort of like Grace was in the first film: naive and completely perplexed by what is going on. By now, Grace is a hardened survivalist and Faith needs to get up to speed fast if she’s going to survive. Newton manages to pick roles that always seem to showcase her vibrant persona. Lisa Frankenstein and Freaky are two of my favorite horror-comedies, but I’m drawn to almost any film she’s in. Paranormal Activity 4, anyone?
In addition to its gallons of blood and gory kills, Ready or Not 2 is a very funny movie. The audience was roaring throughout the entire film. For instance, there’s a great recurring gag where these wealthy, pampered killers hunting down Grace and Faith are all inept at using weapons. Having a killer line up his target perfectly in the crosshairs, only to have the gun fall apart, would be a lazy way for a script to keep the hero alive, but here it becomes a bit that’s leaned into.
Ready or Not 2 has set a high bar for SXSW, and it may end up being my favorite film of the festival. The pacing is relentless, the kills are juicy, and the two leads kick ass. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even more than the first film. Keeping my fingers crossed for a third installment!
