Image Credit: Seasrch Light Pictures
Without giving away any spoilers, we could start with the ending—a bloody, gory spectacle—to highlight how the Ready or Not saga (because we’re definitely talking about a saga by now) is a sort of pop and absurd reinterpretation of the concept of capitalism, reimagined in a mix of genres and subgenres. While the rich and powerful become ever richer and more powerful, on the other hand they also become extreme, dangerous, unbalanced, and desperate. You only need to flip through a newspaper to realize this.
Set within a solid framework of entertainment cinema (which doesn’t shy away from socio-political jabs), Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett return with Ready or Not 2. A sequel that keeps the heat high, even aiming for a boil, without sacrificing a deliberate exaggeration capable of winning you over from the very first scene.
Ready or Not 2 – Here I Come, the plot:
The film, written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, is set immediately after the ending of the first installment, which was released in 2019 and quickly became something of a cult classic. To the tune of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” sung by Amy Winehouse, we see the return of the “bride” Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving, outstanding), who, after being taken to the hospital, finds her sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), with whom she had cut off contact years ago.
No sooner have they reunited than they’re fighting again, and the “Council”—composed of six elite families—orders Grace’s elimination. Hunted once more, she must evade the global establishment, defend her sister, and, as if that weren’t enough, break the diabolical satanic pact that holds a perverse system together.
Lots of action, lots of fun
Of course, Ready or Not 2 – Here I Come cannot be enjoyed without having seen the first installment; however, the writing remains accessible, opening up to a potential new audience. More spectacular and extreme, and even broader in scope. In addition to Elijah Wood as the devil’s advocate (literally), the cast also includes Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy, who play the Danforth twins, thus creating a sort of successful sibling dynamic (it’s curious that both Kathryn Newton and Sarah Michelle Gellar are actually only children). A human element that keeps the action and narrative substance alive. Just consider the fight sequence, set to Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart”—one of the most cinematic songs of all time.
After all, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s film can be likened to a sort of cathartic experience, in which the audience can give free rein to the darkest and most unsettling recesses of their imagination: defying and shattering the rules and the system, descending into hell, and emerging victorious. Although on a different scale, Samara Weaving’s Grace is thus very close to Bruce Campbell’s Ash, the protagonist of Evil Dead. Different contexts, eras, and weapons, but it is the perfect embodiment of how a hero must have relatable, recognizable, and relatable traits.
The increasingly iconic yellow Converse
It’s thrilling to watch Grace advance relentlessly, wearing her now-iconic yellow Converse (not many know they’re a tribute to an old promotional photo of Geena Davis for Beetlejuice), wiping out those spoiled, psychopathic rich kids who, for once, don’t seem to get the upper hand, ending up devouring one another in their obsession with power and the status quo.
That is why the saga—which shifts from horror to gore with a dash of comedy (its lightheartedness, mixed with a touch of the esoteric, makes for a winning formula)—reinforces its satirical, paradoxically comforting premise and becomes a fiery, inspiring force: there is nothing more liberating than seeing the capitalist system explode under the revolutionary fervor of a woman ready to do anything to defend the right choice.
Conclusions
More ensemble-driven, bigger, more entertaining. Ready or Not 2 – Here I Come is a sequel that hits the right note, focusing on entertainment and spectacle. Avoiding genre labels, the film makes the most of its cast and setting to highlight a satirical streak that takes aim at the capitalist system.
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