Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is exactly the sequel I was hoping for. Radio Silence – the directing duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett – return to their blood-sport sandbox with the confidence of filmmakers who know exactly what they’ve built and exactly how they can return to it. The result is a follow-up that earns its place beside the original by matching its energy with remarkable consistency; a film that is lean, mean, brisk, and designed to be consumed with a crowd.
The new ensemble additions are where Here I Come finds much of its fresh energy. Sarah Michelle Gellar operates in a register that can only be described as quintessentially hers. Elijah Wood, additionally, delivers a characterization of the game-lawyer that is a dry delight – one of those performances that makes you wish the screenplay had carved out more room for him. And herein lies the film’s most legitimate grievance: a handful of these supporting figures feel trimmed before they’ve been fully introduced. The archetypal nature of the new cast works in the film’s favor since this movie is not striving for too much depth, but the shorthand leaves a lot of fun and promise on the table.
Genre craft is becoming a fixture of Radio Silence films. There is a dance floor sequence and needle drop that is an absolute standout. It is kinetic and genuinely fun in the way that only confident direction allows. But this exacerbates a disappointment that the hunting sequences feel sparse. One more key chase beat would have really helped the film, and there are a variety of scenes that could have been trimmed to accommodate or replaced with new ones.
So in the end, the film could have been longer and still maintained its entertainment value. Finally, one the sequel’s most meaningful accomplishment is what it does in its final act, given the audience is already familiar with the game. Here I Come acknowledges that risk and zags. It’s a move that pays off and distinguishes itself from its predecessor.
Ready or Not 2 won’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to. Radio Silence have proven they can return to the well and make the kind of reliable, crowd-pleasing flick that is rarer than it seems.
