Ready or Not pulls off one of my favourite — and massively underrated — sequel tricks… picking up straight from where the first film leaves off. So , taking a cue from the original Halloween II, we back outside the burning mansion, where Grace (Samara Weaving) sits, cigarette in mouth. Her once white wedding dress now completely blood-soaked — and of course becoming one of the most iconic images in recent horror.
She takes a puff…
“In-laws.” she utters and yet instead of the cut to black and end credits We’re back in the game.
Grace wakes up in hospital — handcuffed, battered, and now having to answer questions from suspicious law enforcement who clearly aren’t buying whatever story she’s about to give them. I mean who would believe how a game of Hide and Seek would result in body explosions and endless amount of blood splatter?
And also waiting for her? Her estranged sister Faith, played by Kathryn Newton — and after years of abandonment, she’s not exactly thrilled to see her.
Before we — and Faith — can even catch our breath, the second round of this deliciously murderous game is already underway, as we’re introduced to a fresh batch of rich aristocrats who find themselves dragged into this desperate hunt.
All because the Le Domas family failed to finish the job on Grace on her wedding night and now as its a sequel, of course the mythology needs to go bigger and the bride being alive, means there is vacancy – a chance for someone to slip a ring on their finger and basically means they get to rule the world.
Yeah, with a sequel, the mythology obviously expands — and with it comes an even dafter scale of behind-the-scenes chaos — but let’s be honest, most fans of the original are here for one thing and that is to see Weaving once more making Grace what she does best. Fighting against all odds.
And this time, she’s bouncing off Kathryn Newton’s Faith, who proves to be a very welcome addition — giving us someone new to root for alongside her.
Having left Ghostface behind in New York with Scream VI, directing duo Radio Silence return to the world that made their name in horror. And while the sequel carries over many of the familiar beats that made the original such a standout in recent years, there is something missing, a lack of freshness, that extra jolt needed to push this from safe… to memorable.
Despite her slaying abilities, Sarah Michelle Gellar feels surprisingly underused, especially next to Shawn Hatosy’s Titus — who’s clearly having the time of his life playing the rich kid gone completely off the rails.
And then there’s Elijah Wood — quietly stealing scenes as the Council Lawyer, sitting back (much like us) just watching the chaos unfold.
It’s all chaos. All blood. All out bazooka and while set-pieces like Grace’s wedding dance face-off with Francesca (Mala Jae), set to “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” should be an all-timer… it never quite lands the way it should.
That said — the second Grace strips back down and throws on that iconic look again? Fans will be right back on board.
Because this is a sequel made for us. Another fun round of games where bodies pop and Grace with Faith stand – full of gore and a look of bewilderment as we sit back with a smile on our face, but you do get a feeling that this time – when the final credits roll – this is in fact GAME OVER as a third film could well be a case of a premise – being overplayed.
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