Ready or Not 2 Review: Samara Weaving Returns in Senseless Sequel

Ready or Not 2 expands the lore of its predecessor but trades much of the original’s wit for extra brutality: twice as violent and only half as entertaining, the sequel opens on a striking one-shot that follows Grace from the Le Domas steps to a precarious ambulance ride and into a hospital where a cop awaits to arrest her.

Grace (Samara Weaving) is pulled back into a lethal game when the deaths of the Le Domases trigger a bylaw that sets off a new contest for the council’s High Seat. She reunites with the sister she abandoned, Faith (Kathryn Newton), and the pair are forced into a hunt that pits them against several rival families.

The ensemble includes Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, Olivia Cheng, Varun Saranga, Nadeem Umar-Khitab, a brief Kevin Durand appearance, and a cameo from David Cronenberg. The film finds some strengths — an effective opening, solid turns from Gellar and Hatosy, and a fun supporting role from Elijah Wood — but it underutilizes Weaving and Newton.

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