Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Needs Nastier Rich People

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The new movie, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, like the first one, suggests the wealthy aren’t just different—they’re secretly a satanic cult who perform ritual sacrifices to maintain their power. While this idea isn’t new, it’s currently a popular theme, as another similar film, They Will Kill You, is coming out soon. Both films feature the wealthy engaging in these practices, though Ready or Not 2 is set at a luxurious resort in Connecticut, while They Will Kill You takes place in a fancy Manhattan building. It’s easy to see why stories about ordinary women taking on these exclusive, evil groups are appealing right now. However, watching Ready or Not 2, directed by the same team as the first film, I found its portrayal of the villains surprisingly old-fashioned. Compared to the current behavior of the super-rich—from their deference to powerful figures to the openly detached technocrats—making a deal with the devil seems almost polite.

In the Ready or Not movies, the villain – known as Le Bail – enforces a strict set of rules with deadly consequences: those who break them don’t receive forgiveness, they literally explode. Ready or Not 2 introduces a new group of potential victims, a more diverse and dangerous bunch than the Le Domases, the family Grace married into in the first film. The sequel begins immediately after the first one ends, with Grace recovering in the hospital after surviving a night of attempted murder by her in-laws. She reconnects with her sister, Faith, and we meet the five other families who form a sinister council. The Danforths, who host the new deadly game on their estate, are led by twins Ursula and Titus, the children of their ailing father, Chester. The Madrid-based El Caidos family, headed by Ignacio and his children, also join the hunt, and one of his kids has a particular grudge against Grace.

The new film, Ready or Not 2, follows several wealthy families who become targets in a dangerous game. Wan Chen Xing (Olivia Cheng) and her son are visiting from Shanghai, while Madhu Rajan (Varun Saranga), his wife, and brother are from London. Bill Wilkinson (Kevin Durand), who lives in Atlantic City, mostly serves as a way for the lawyer (a standout performance by Elijah Wood) to explain the rules of the deadly game. The movie is fast-paced and fun, but its portrayal of the rich characters feels uninspired and relies on tired stereotypes – spoiled daughters and entitled sons who treat everyone around them as unimportant. While the film isn’t meant to be a deep critique of wealth inequality, it could have put more effort into making its characters feel authentic, instead of resorting to clichés like ripped designer clothes and excessive displays of wealth. Given how much real-world evidence there is of elite self-interest, it feels like a missed opportunity to not draw from that for more compelling characters.

Grace and her sister quickly dismiss the other characters, only briefly stopping to address the long-held resentments that have kept them apart. Andie MacDowell convincingly portrays a character on the edge of a breakdown, still reeling from one trauma and immediately thrown into another. Melanie Liburd, known for her work in horror films, feels a bit out of place, partly because the script (by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy) gives her a motivation that doesn’t quite make sense. The most engaging part of the sisters’ fighting is how they skillfully target each other’s insecurities about their careers and social standing. Faith boasts about her job and apartment in Murray Hill, while Grace fires back at her sister’s comments about marrying for money by questioning her boyfriend’s profession. The film highlights that achieving success under capitalism isn’t always ethical—especially when the stakes involve human sacrifices. Ready or Not 2 doesn’t offer much emotional release, but it does provide some simple satisfaction as the villains, despite being somewhat weak, meet their violent ends.

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2026-03-20 18:54