As we first reported on FearHQ.com, the review embargo for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come has lifted, and while it's still early days, the sequel is shaping up to be one of the year's best-reviewed horror movies.
Scream directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett return to helm their long-awaited follow-up to 2019's Ready or Not. While it was always going to be challenging to recapture the magic of that first instalment, Here I Come stands a chance of being even better than its predecessor.
In the movie, moments after surviving an all-out attack from the Le Domas family, Grace (Samara Weaving) discovers she’s reached the next level of the nightmarish game — and this time with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) at her side.
Grace has one chance to survive, keep her sister alive, and claim the High Seat of the Council that controls the world. Four rival families are hunting her for the throne, and whoever wins will rule it all.
With 12 verdicts counted, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The first movie is "Certified Fresh" with 89%. Many more reviews will be counted in the coming days and weeks, so it'll be tough for the sequel to remain at 100%. We'll see.
"More is more in Ready or Not 2," writes Bloody Disgusting. "Bigger stakes, larger playing field, a higher (and more gruesome) body count, and even double the protagonists. All designed to deliver maximum crowd-pleasing fun."
Empire notes, "Round two’s double-or-nothing approach means there are fewer surprises this time around. Yet as Weaving’s endlessly watchable bride gets even bloodier, it’s hard not to crack a smile at the relentless fun."
"Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is an agreeable, if unnecessary sequel which, through its larger scale, proves that less is often more," IGN states, with Slashfilm adding, "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come proves to be just as explosively fun as its predecessor, even if it's essentially 'the same, but more.'"
"Ready or Not 2: Here I Come confirms Samara Weaving as one of the genre’s most talented stars and gives her the perfect showcase to shine her brightest," according to Dread Central. As Deadline puts it, "This action-packed, blood-soaked sequel is just what fans have been waiting for the past seven years, hopefully paving the way for a trilogy in this sinister world Radio Silence has created."
Finally, Polygon concludes, "While there aren’t as many big laughs or surprises as the first film, Ready or Not 2 has some incredible moments... But if Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett send Grace on a third killing spree, hopefully they’ll make it a bit more focused."
The reviews aren't overwhelmingly positive, but they are extremely good, and all signs point to Radio Silence's latest horror movie being a must-watch. Any grumbles are minor, and it ultimately sounds like a lot of fun.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come also stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood, Kevin Durand, Olivia Cheng, Varun Saranga, and Daniel Beirne.
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett from a script by Guy Busick & R. Christopher Murphy, the movie is produced by Tripp Vinson, James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, and Bradley J. Fischer.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come arrives in theaters on March 20.