Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
- 16 hours ago
- 3 min read
Packed with wall-to-wall laughs, action and gore, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME is a hilarious & twisted horror sequel that does not demand you've seen the first film, I haven't! But I'm going to make a point of seeing it now.
A very game cast, young & established, deliver a bloody entertaining good time.
The film picks up right where the first entry ended, with Grace (Samara Weaving from "Babylon" and "Scream VI") emerging victorious from a lethal game that her new in-laws sprung on her on her wedding day.
It was a "Most Dangerous Game" style human hunt, with her as the prey. Important to note that her wealthy new family and their guests had all sold their souls to the devil. When Grace defeats them, they each explode in a massive bomb of flesh and blood that's left her wedding dress a very deep red.
But this chapter is just getting started.
By defeating her new husband and in-laws and surviving until dawn, she's put a universal clause into effect that draws powerful families owned by the red dude from all over the globe.
The aging patriarch of one of those families, The Danforths is played by Director David Cronenberg, who sets up his two children, Titus (Shawn Hatosy from "The Pitt") and Ursula (Sarah Michelle Gellar, very funny) to battle in the grand scale, very lethal hide and seek game. The families can only use weapons from the era when their bloodline first sold their souls, which makes for some fun choices. Gellar manages to use a long spike that should conjure up some great memories for Buffy fans.
Grace wakes up in the hospital when her estranged sister Faith arrives. Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) kills it as Faith. She has no idea what she's signed up for, but before long, the two sisters are at a mega mansion, with the countdown about to begin for round two of the hunt.
What made me laugh from beginning to end are the diverse families from all over the globe that range from weak to very ambitious.
Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Sin City) is perfect as the always calm family lawyer that sees over all the proceedings, making sure Beelzebub's rules are followed to the drawn-in-blood letter.
Kevin Durand (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Strain) steals every scene he's in as Bill, a wild man who screws the rules and decides to take the sisters out early. His comic timing is flawless.
Nestor Carbonell (The Dark Knight, Lost) slays as Ignacio, who's sniper skills maybe could have used a bit more honing. His young son Felipe (Juan Pablo Romero) may not be a teenager yet, but he's got Tony Montana level gunplay down to a science.
Every family member carves out a niche and serves up everything from big laughs to some seriously lethal hand-to-hand combat.
Weaving and Newton throw the entire sordid affair on their backs without straining, serving up just enough family angst in the middle of the scabbards, gunshots, rocket launchers and crossbows.
According to the directors, 325 gallons of fake blood was used during filming with 140 gallons being used in the final event alone, serving up a hilarious, Tarantino style finale that left me laughing.
What really kicks the fun off in style is having all 14 main characters in the film together on set as the rules are explained to Grace & Faith. Their expressions and interactions are entertaining and kudos to Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett for filming those scenes with a sense of scope that allows you to see them all at once, or in large groups. Lesser talent would have fast cut their way through all the characters and lost much of the hilarious interplay between deadly group dynamics as a whole.
If you love horror, dark comedy and gore, this is an enjoyable, fast paced and laugh-out-loud game, winner take all. It gets a very solid B.
READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME is a bloody feast of humor, action and double crosses that will keep you guessing all the way to the grand guignol feast of a finale.
Now I need to go find Part One....
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