If you want better plot originality
Choose Rose of Nevada. It scores 5.0 vs 2.2 for plot originality, with a 4.5 overall score.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Movie Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for Samara Weaving, gleeful ensemble chemistry, and bigger blood-soaked set pieces—especially with a lively crowd. Skip it if you want the first film’s tight suspense, fresh premise, or cleanly explained mythology.
Best for
Best for fans of the first film who want Samara Weaving back in a louder, bloodier horror-comedy and enjoy theatrical crowd reactions, elaborate kills, and a stacked genre cast.
Not for
Skip it if the first film’s compact setup, tight suspense, or novelty mattered most to you, or if prolonged gore and rule-heavy franchise mythology wear you down.
Verdict
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is powered by performers and set pieces more than by a genuinely fresh game. Samara Weaving is the clearest strength, while Kathryn Newton, Elijah Wood, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, David Cronenberg, and the broader ensemble give the carnage personality and comic energy. The action is bigger, the practical gore often lands, and several reviewers think the expanded cabal makes for ideal crowd entertainment. The tradeoff is focus: many critics find the rules overcomplicated, the sister drama underwritten, the violence occasionally too ugly, and the repeated structure less tense or surprising than the original. That leaves a sequel with real highs and a strong cast, but a much more divided response to its story, tone, and necessity.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
42 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.02 (5%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.416 (38%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.412 (29%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.412 (29%)
Pros
-
Samara Weaving is the clearest point of agreement: most reviewers find her magnetic, physical, expressive, funny, and convincing as a traumatized survivor pushed straight back into danger. A small minority felt the sequel gives Grace less range or weakens what made her special.
-
The supporting cast is a major source of fun, especially Elijah Wood, Shawn Hatosy, Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Cronenberg, and Kathryn Newton. The main caveat is that the larger ensemble leaves some performers and villains with too little material.
-
The action is one of the sequel’s strongest and most discussed features. Reviewers repeatedly praise the ballroom fight, brutal brawls, creative kills, and bigger set pieces, though a minority call some fights repetitive, stiff, or overextended.
-
The cast is widely viewed as a major asset, with reviewers repeatedly praising the performers’ commitment to the movie’s ridiculous, bloody tone. Even several negative reviews say the acting is stronger than the material around it.
-
Weaving and Newton’s sister chemistry works very well for many reviewers, who like their comic friction, physical teamwork, and contrasting energies. Others find the relationship rushed or forced, so the performances often land better than the written estrangement.
-
The movie plays especially well for horror fans, fans of the first film, and lively theater crowds. Several reviewers specifically describe it as a communal screams-and-laughs experience, while colder reactions suggest casual viewers may be less impressed.
Cons
-
The story works best when it keeps Grace moving through the new hunt, but several critics found the expanded premise over-plotted, thin, or harder to justify than the original. A smaller group thought the sequel found a clever enough route forward.
-
Originality is a major weakness in the consensus. Even positive reviews often admit the sequel is essentially another round of the same game, while its defenders argue that the new scale and rules provide enough variation to justify returning.
-
Character depth is one of the more consistent weaknesses. Grace gets meaningful growth in some reviews, but many critics find Faith, the hunters, and much of the expanded ensemble underwritten, archetypal, or crowded out by the game mechanics.
-
Most criticism lands on how closely the sequel repeats the first film’s game and rhythms, with fewer surprises and less novelty. Some reviewers still found enough new rules, characters, and twists to keep the familiar structure lively.
-
The Grace-Faith drama is highly divisive. Their reconciliation adds a welcome personal layer for some viewers, but many critics find the bickering repetitive, the resentment unconvincing, or the emotional beats poorly placed amid a life-or-death hunt.
-
The enlarged rulebook is a frequent stumbling block: multiple reviewers call the mythology convoluted, inconsistent, or overloaded with explanation. Others enjoyed the absurd clauses and thought the rules created fun opportunities for schemes and surprises.
Cast & Creators
-
GraceWeaving is the film’s most consistently praised performer, with reviewers highlighting her physical commitment, expressive fear, feral determination, comic timing, and ability to ground the heightened premise. A few detractors think the sequel gives Grace less range than before, but even many negative reviews still single Weaving out.
-
The LawyerWood’s dry, unflappable Lawyer is one of the most dependable supporting highlights. Reviewers repeatedly praise his deadpan rule delivery, mischievous presence, comic timing, and ability to make exposition entertaining.
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TitusHatosy earns strong notices for turning Titus into a physically imposing, increasingly chilling villain. His intensity and menace stand out, although the brutality attached to the character also contributes to some reviewers’ discomfort with the film’s darker tone.
-
FaithNewton is widely welcomed as a lively, snarky counterweight to Weaving, and several reviewers love the sisters’ chemistry. The main criticism lands on Faith’s writing rather than Newton herself, though a small number of reviewers also find the character grating or emotionally unconvincing.
-
UrsulaGellar is generally praised for icy, venomous villainy and for visibly enjoying the role of Ursula. Some reviewers wish the sequel gave her substantially more to do, making underuse the main complaint rather than performance quality.
-
ChesterCronenberg makes a strong impression despite limited screen time, with reviewers calling his appearance delightful, amusing, delicious, or memorable. The recurring complaint is simply that Chester’s role is too brief.
View all 42 feature scores and cast & creators
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Movies, this product is above average in pacing, editing quality, value for money, near average in lead performance, ending satisfaction, below average in soundtrack quality, scares, originality.
Comparison summary
42 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher10 (24%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts9 (21%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower23 (55%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| soundtrack quality | 2.0 | 4.0 | -2.0 |
| scares | 2.1 | 3.9 | -1.8 |
| originality | 2.1 | 3.4 | -1.3 |
| drama quality | 2.2 | 3.5 | -1.3 |
| story quality | 1.9 | 3.2 | -1.3 |
| special effects quality | 2.0 | 3.4 | -1.4 |
| character development | 2.1 | 3.1 | -1.0 |
| pacing | 3.8 | 2.8 | +1.0 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better emotional impact
Choose Leviticus. It scores 4.3 vs 2.9 for emotional impact, with a 4.2 overall score.
If you want better originality
Choose Exit 8. It scores 4.5 vs 2.1 for originality, with a 4.2 overall score.
If you want better genre satisfaction
Choose The Furious. It scores 5.0 vs 3.4 for genre satisfaction, with a 4.0 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Ready or Not
- Better: plot complexity and freshness The reviewer contrasts the first film's complexity with the sequel's much simpler game.
- Worse: gruesome kills/action The sequel's gruesome kills are judged better than the first film's.
John Wick: Chapter Two
- Compared: world-building expansion The sequel's mythology expansion is compared to John Wick: Chapter Two's universe-building.
FAQ
Is Ready or Not 2 as good as the first film?
There is no clear consensus. Many reviewers call it fun or worthy, but the most common comparison says it is less fresh, less focused, and less suspenseful than the original.
Is Samara Weaving still the standout?
Yes. Across positive and negative reviews, Weaving is repeatedly praised for her physical commitment, comic timing, expressive fear, and ferocious screen presence.
Is the sequel scary?
It leans more toward action, gore, and horror-comedy than sustained fear. Several reviewers say the larger setting and familiar structure reduce the intimate tension that made the first film scarier.
How does Kathryn Newton fit into the movie?
Newton is widely liked as a lively, snarky counterweight to Weaving, and their chemistry often works well. The bigger disagreement is whether the written sister conflict feels moving or forced.
Does the expanded mythology work?
This is one of the biggest splits. Some reviewers enjoy the cabal, rules, and loopholes as a smart escalation, while others find the lore convoluted, overexplained, and less fun than the original’s simple game.
How violent is it?
The movie is extremely bloody and built around elaborate kills, explosions, beatings, and practical gore. Some reviewers find the excess gleeful and purposeful, while others think certain violence becomes lingering or ugly.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - CinemaSins
- Review score
- 1.6
YouTube - Amanda the Jedi
- Review score
- 4.3
YouTube - Alexander Robinson Reviews
- Review score
- 4.0
Article Reviews
undertheradarmag.com
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come may not be the shot in the arm that the 2019 film was, but its ability to entertain in the same manner as its...
- Review score
- 3.5
cinephilecorner.com
Ready or Not never really felt like a movie that needed a sequel. The original told a complete story, ended on one hell of a punchline, and...
- Review score
- 3.6
neverthinkimpossible.com
Spoilers think the only solution is not to play. We're back in the horror comedy genre, and frankly I so needed this. Yes, the formula is a...
- Review score
- 3.5
aubellringer.com
Not as shocking as the original, but “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” still passes muster …
- Review score
- 4.2
kinetoscope.ca
The cast and crew of the 2019 thriller return for another deadly game, with diminishing returns.
- Review score
- 2.0
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