2019’s Ready or Not was a surprise hit, grossing $57.6 million on a $6 million budget and garnering critical acclaim. The film’s success led to Radio Silence working on the Scream franchise and made Samara Weaving a scream queen. While working on 2024’s Abigail, filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett considered pairing Weaving with Kathryn Newton as sisters. Distributor Searchlight Pictures asked Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett for a sequel, so they decided to adapt their sister idea for it. With a $14 million budget, more than double the original’s, filming lasted from April to June 2025 in Toronto. Along with Weaving and Newton, other cast members included Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood, Shawn Hatosy, and David Cronenberg. Most of the original crew returned as well, including writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. After premiering at South by Southwest, Ready or Not: Here I Come hit theaters in March 2026.
%
Rating
Synopsis
Having survived the last film, Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving) is taken to the hospital, where the police question her. Meanwhile, news of the Le Domas family’s demise reaches The Council, a high-ranking organization comprised of several wealthy families. Siblings Ursula (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Titus Danforth (Shawn Hatosy) kidnap Grace and her estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton). Once brought to their compound, a mysterious figure known as “The Lawyer” (Elijah Wood) explains the rules to the sisters. Because of Grace’s victory, the other families must hunt her to claim the High Seat, granting them unlimited power. Despite her refusal, Grace and Faith must work together to survive while the leaders of each family hunt them down. Along with the Danforths, there’s Ignacio El Caido (Néstor Carbonell), Wan Chen Xing (Olivia Cheng), and Viraj Rajan (Nadeem Umar-Khitab). Will the sisters succeed, and who will claim the High Seat?
Review
While I loved the first film, which made my 2019 Best of List, I didn’t think it needed a sequel. Sure, there was a lot you could’ve explored with the devil cult, but it still worked as a one-and-done. With Ready or Not: Here I Come, they do expand on the lore, but was it really necessary? The Le Domas family being part of a satanic cult was a huge twist that was handled effectively. But here, they go into so much detail about the rules and the cult’s intricacies that it loses its impact. After a while, things get so needlessly convoluted that you almost stop caring about what’s going on. That said, there’s still plenty of the same bloody carnage that made the first film enjoyable. As far as unnecessary sequels go, this one’s millions of light-years better than Joker: Folie à Deux.
As in the last film, Samara Weaving crushes it as a tough but vulnerable woman desperately trying to stay alive. Kathryn Newton is a great addition to the cast, and she has fantastic chemistry with Weaving. Sarah Michelle Gellar is fun as the conniving and sly sister who’s always in control. By contrast, it’s entertaining seeing Shawn Hatosy get more unhinged as the film goes on. Elijah Wood is enjoyable as the unnamed lawyer who maintains a calm demeanor even when things get more chaotic. David Cronenberg has a fun scene as the elder Danforth, though he meets the same fate as in Jason X. The rest of the cast does a commendable job and is clearly having fun playing such over-the-top characters. Even when they have limited screentime, like Kevin Durand, they make the most of it.
Like the first film, this one delivers on the blood and viscera you’ve come to expect from Radio Silence. No matter how many times they do it, seeing someone explode into blood is always fun. The action sequences are entertaining, a noteworthy one being when Grace dukes it out with a scornful bride-to-be. Still, even if the film has its fun moments, it doesn’t have the same fresh quality as the original. It doesn’t help that much of the movie takes place in daylight, which lessens the tension we should be feeling. Also, at almost two hours long, the pacing can be slow at times, though it’s not enough to ruin it. Don’t get me wrong, this sequel is an enjoyable watch, but I can’t help but feel like this was unnecessary. Overall, Ready or Not: Here I Come delivers the goods but lacks the original’s spark.
Ready or Not: Here I Come is in theaters.
Where to watch Ready or Not: Here I Come (2026)
