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The horror genre, or really any genre, has a problem with sequelizing films that don’t beg for a continuation. They tell a complete story, exit with a clean dismount, yet are subject to cash-grab franchise hopes that never live up to the original’s legacy. But there are outliers to every rule. Enter Radio Silence, who strike double-gold with Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. It’s in the same conversation as Black Phone 2: how Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill defied the odds and their initial one-and-done talk with a fantastic follow-up. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come recaptures the same grim gamesmanship and despicable high society egoism with another rambunctious competition of kill-or-be-killed, but never feels like a forced, unoriginal retread.
The film picks up on Ready or Not’s iconic final shot, where a bloodied, beaten-down Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving) puffs on a cigarette while the Le Domas mansion burns in the background. Grace is taken to the hospital, under investigation for the crimes she endured. To make matters worse, Grace forgets to change her emergency contact, and we meet Grace’s estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton). It’s a thorny reunion as Grace and Faith sarcastically bicker about their separation, but family drama is short-lived. It turns out, Grace’s victory over the Le Domas clan has left their high council’s head chair open—which means another round of hide-and-seek must be played to decide who gains control of Mr. Le Bail’s power-hungry cult.
It’s prudent to note that Ready or Not is one of the last 5-star ratings I’ve given as a critic since its release roughly 6 years ago. I try not to make my reviews personal, but that context is key in understanding my love for Radio Silence’s top-notch playtime slasher. You might think that makes me a mark for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, but quite the opposite. I came into the film a tad skeptical, wondering how writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy could reclaim their throne. Thankfully, those hesitations evaporated almost instantly.
Within minutes, Radio Silence establishes a cracking motive and even seedier backstory to throw Grace—and now Faith—back into Le Bail’s gauntlet. But, as an added pop, it’s not the same stakes. Grace’s reward for defeating her ex-husband’s evil in-laws is to have a shot at swiping their place in Mr. Le Bail’s court, as long as she can outlast the other families also vying for that same honor. Where Ready or Not is about survival as a necessity, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is about surviving, infiltrating, and overthrowing the shadow operations controlling society behind the scenes. Busick and Murphy drive deeper into conspiratorial meanness, giving Grace plenty of reason to fight back despite having not slept, eaten, or recovered from her murderous honeymoon. We’re pulled right back in, savoring the sweet catharsis of watching more one-percenters die in the name of Le Bail’s satanic blessings.
As for the roster of villains, Radio Silence assembles another gallery of sickening upper-crusters who only care about their unfathomable fortunes. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy are believably callous as the Danforth twins, odds-on favorites (aka psychopaths) who lend their hotel/casino/resort as the playing grounds. Néstor Carbonell portrays the flamboyant billionaire as Ignacio El Caido, a cocky media type whose lack of combat training reflects a blind sense of entitlement through hilarious inadequacies. Kevin Durand is a hulking lunatic as your average Atlantic City cokehead, Bill Wilkinson, while Varun Saranga and Nadeem Umar-Khitab represent a generation of young-and-dumb socialites who flaunt their wealth and know not the consequences of their lifestyles as the Rajans.
They’re all maniacs of a particular flavor, and quite good at drawing out the most hateful qualities in their stereotypical behaviors. Another righteous ensemble, including Elijah Wood as “The Lawyer,” who diligently keeps Mr. Le Bail’s contracts in order and stays staunchly litigious in the face of diabolical violence.
The addition of Faith is a gamble because, at first, her inclusion feels like a basic ball and chain, making Grace’s life more difficult. They throw shade at one another as we learn more about why Faith felt left behind and Grace’s frustration with her siblings’ cut-off behavior. But it’s Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton we’re talking about, so the banter is top-notch, and now we have two viable Scream Queens teaming up against the evils of a capitalist, eat-the-rich hellscape. Weaving endures mounting injuries as she fights off multiple modes of attacks, while Newton finds courage along the way, both having to dodge an array of threats from close-combat blades to big honkin’ bazookas.
What’s most important is that Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is just as rollicking and thrilling a sequel. Some of the tread has worn off, but Radio Silence still brings that entertaining brand of “Most Dangerous Game” storytelling that made Ready or Not such a hit. There’s a goofiness to aspects, whether two pepper-sprayed individuals have a blind fight or Muskian bastards find out they’re not so invincible. Radio Silence is proficient in crafting crowd-pleasing horror, and their latest is no different. The biggest compliment I can pay is saying their sequel is more of the same, given my adoration of Ready or Not. There’s no time wasted jumping back into action, and the encore is just as rousing as the first go-around.
Radio Silence returns seven years later with a direct sequel that confirms with the right ideas, any movie can break the continuation curse. It’s well cast, explosive in the right moments, and finds that signature champion’s spirit when taking on representations of the “untouchable” puppetmasters behind closed doors. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come has its shortcomings, but I can count them on one hand. Radio Silence’s latest is feisty, ferocious, and back with a vengeance, stirring plenty of excitement should they want to continue making Ready or Not movies until Grace has vanquished every last tyrannical wannabe who Mr. Le Bail exposes.
Movie Score: 4/5
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