Movie Review – Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026)

When Ready or Not came out in 2019, it established Samara Weaving as a modern scream queen. The premise was simple: Grace (Weaving) marries into the Le Domas family, whose wealth and legacy come from the board‑game industry. She soon discovers she’s the sacrificial lamb in a kill‑or‑be‑killed edition of hide‑and‑seek, thanks to a deal the Le Domas clan made with the devil – or, in this case, Mr. Le Bail.

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come picks up immediately where the original leaves off. While Here I Come is bigger, it isn’t better. That said, the moment where Grace laces up her yellow Converse and dons her blood‑stained wedding dress is as cool and iconic as any superhero suit‑up sequence.

Mr. Le Bail is the benefactor to a group of satanic‑worshipping families who manipulate world events, and Grace’s survival – along with the demise of the Le Domas family – creates a power vacuum. To complicate matters further, Grace’s estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) is dragged into the deadly game. The story is fine but thin, and the escalation from a family of board‑game tycoons to an omnipotent shadow cabal reaches Fast & Furious levels of storytelling.

Here I Come reminds me of The Strangers: Prey at Night in several ways. Both films broaden their scope and lose a sense of focus and connection to their main characters. It’s especially evident when Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart is used in both movies.

One of the aspects I loved in the original was how the Le Domas Family Games company presented a wholesome, family‑friendly façade that masked its darker dealings. The “High Council” in the sequel has the power to end a war with a single phone call, yet lacks meaningful characterization. Chester Danforth (David Cronenberg) heads the council, and we’re told he raised and groomed his twin children Ursula (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Titus (Shawn Hatosy) for such a contingency. But all we learn about them is that they’re wealthy and run a country club.

Similarly, the rest of the council members are defined only by vague careers: a corporate executive, degenerate brothers who own a nightclub, a television host, and an adult‑entertainment mogul. Grace has no real connection to the High Council beyond surviving whatever obstacles they throw at her. Francesca El Caido (Maia Jae), however, is Alex Le Domas’s (Mark O’Brien) ex‑fiancée. Francesca sees Grace as the woman who stole Alex and ruined her life. Their relationship is instantly clear and leads to the best confrontation in the entire movie.

Oddly, the film crosscuts Grace and Francesca’s “fun” fight with Titus and Faith’s brutal hallway battle. It’s strange to use the word brutal in a movie where multiple families try to kill two young women, but the rest of the film operates with a tongue‑in‑cheek tone that the Titus/Faith fight simply doesn’t share. Part of the problem is the lack of character development. Grace’s introduction happens via an exposition dump between the sisters at the hospital. Newton and Weaving have great chemistry and adorable reactions to one another as they dispatch their first killer, but it takes a while to get there.

Conversely, Ursula and Titus receive a strong introduction. They must kill their ailing father Chester to represent the Danforths in the hunt. Titus comes off as afraid and entitled, while Ursula is calm and collected. Titus eventually becomes a full psychopath. Shawn Hatosy does intense and menacing far better than aloof humor, but the progression doesn’t feel believable.

Elijah Wood is the latest addition to the franchise and a standout as Mr. Le Bail’s lawyer. He doesn’t need to say much to intimidate the families – they already know the power their benefactor holds – but his mannerisms, reactions, and line delivery bring the sleazy attorney to life. I’m curious to see whether this franchise continues. Endless prequels and sequels featuring various families making deals with Mr. Le Bail are possible, and Wood could easily return to establish the rules.

I won’t spoil the third act, but both the final set piece and Weaving’s costume are beautifully designed to reflect the dark celebration at the story’s core.

Overall, the movie is very good for what it is, though I would have liked to see more of this world and its players developed. One thing is clear: returning directors Matt Bettinelli‑Olpin and Tyler Gillett, along with writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, are having a blast making this movie – and that energy absolutely translates on screen.

Rating: 3.5/5