Reviews

The horror-comedy Ready or Not was a huge success in 2019, but it has taken seven years to make a sequel as directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett got busy making two Scream movies and Abigail.

This follow-up literally picks up where the first film ended, with blood-soaked bride Grace (Samara Weaving) stumbling out of a burning mansion after her in-laws, the Le Domas family, spontaneously combusted after failing to kill her in a deadly game of hide and seek.

But it turns out they weren’t the only family who made a deal with the devil. The Le Domases were actually part of an organisation of elite families who control the world and worship Satan.

The organisation is not happy with Grace wiping out the Le Domas bloodline, and now the seat of ultimate power is up for grabs.

Grace and her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) – who showed up at the hospital – are kidnapped and brought to an exclusive country club resort and made to participate in a second deadly game of hide and seek to fight for the seat.

Ready or Not 2 is essentially more of the same, but bigger and bloodier. There are other differences, such as a new location, a different set of killers and a new lead dynamic, as Grace now has her sister for company.

The addition of Faith brings a family drama element as they have to hash out their resentments and issues while running, screaming, fighting and generally avoiding being killed.

This new dynamic works wonders, as Weaving and Newton bounce off each other easily and nail the horror-comedy tone, which is no surprise, as they’ve both worked with the directing duo before.

Weaving’s exhausted and injured Grace is fuelled by anger and rage, while Newton is her funnier and sparkier counterpart, hilariously trying to get with the programme quickly.

Fans of ’90s horrors will be delighted to see Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood and Shawn Hatosy in supporting roles. Hatosy is unhinged and scary, Gellar is his uptight and capable twin sister, and Wood has a twinkle in his eye as the lawyer overseeing the game.

Although there is a ton of blood and exploding bodies, Ready or Not 2 doesn’t feel much like a horror because there aren’t many scares and the stakes feel low. It’s more of an action-comedy this time – emphasis on the comedy – with weaker writing and an underpowered final act.

Ready or Not 2 may be a downgrade from its predecessor, but it is still a fun time at the cinema.

In cinemas from Friday 20th March

By Hannah Wales

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