When the first Ready or Not movie came out, CinemaBlend gave it a perfect five out of five in our review, calling it a movie “not to be missed.” It’s been over six years since then, and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is about to arrive among 2026 movie releases this weekend alongside sci-fi flick, Project Hail Mary. How does it stack up to its bloody fun predecessor?
The reviews are in for one of our most anticipated 2026 sequels, and right off the bat, critics can’t seem to separate the ultra-positive legacy of the original from this followup. Here’s what IGN’s Tom Jorgensen had to say:
The decision to model Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’s structure so closely after its predecessor holds this sequel back from feeling surprising or inventive at nearly every turn, forcing Grace into the familiar rhythms of avoiding detection, fighting for her life, and deadpanning about the horrific circumstances she’s just endured in a way that feels like being caught in limbo, but probably not in the way Olpin and Gillett were aiming for.
As the review points out, Ready or Not 2 borrows heavily from the structure of the first movie, as Samara Weaving’s Grace has to play another deadly game with satanists. If you’re hoping for a movie that veers from the formula of the first movie, you might be as disappointed as some of these reviewers. IndieWire shared a similar sentiment in Chase Hutchinson’s review:
Article continues belowWhere Ready or Not felt genuinely fresh and fun in how it smashed together familiar genre elements, Ready or Not 2 just rinses and repeats so much of it. It’s not ever really scary or tense with the greatest fear you feel coming not from the film, but from its creators who seem to be averse to taking any real risks.
Ready Or Not 2 is set immediately after the first movie, following Grace right after she sets fire to her in-laws' estate. It’s not long after she’s brought to the hospital that she begins to be hunted again. This time, she has her estranged sister by her side, Faith (played by Kathryn Newton), since she’s her “emergency contact.” Check out what Slant had to say about the addition of Faith:
Kathryn Newton tries her damndest to match Weaving’s freak, countering the latter’s delightfully over-it-all line deliveries and frazzled energy with her own. Ultimately, however, Ready or Not 2 is just a retread of things that the first film pulled off with far more deliciously cartoonish energy.
The sequel brings in a slew of new names, like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Elijah Wood, Néstor Carbonell, Kevin Durand and David Cronenberg to play the new players of the game, who are competing to be the first to kill Grace and earn the power the Le Domas family once had before they literally exploded at the end of the last month. The Guardian’s Benjamin Lee is particularly rough on Ready or Not 2, with this to say about the sequel’s plotline:
The stakes are now ridiculously MCU-level high (control of the planet!) and the film feels like less of a horror and more of an action comedy, something closer to a John Wick wannabe...
Despite a lot of comparisons to the original that frames Ready Or Not 2 as a lesser version of the original, it should be noted that the movie has earned an overall positive score on Rotten Tomatoes with 73% right now after 82 reviews. Cassandra Feltus from Black Girl Nerds had good things to say about it, with comments like this:
…Here I Come still manages to deliver a fresh take, expanding its world and showing new perspectives, personalities, and motivations. Radio Silence has a good grip on balancing the horror with dark humor and touching moments. Here I Come feels more emotional than the last one. Scenes with Weaving and Newton, who are very believable as sisters, made me tear up at least twice.
Hey, it’s not easy to get better than a 5 out of 5 movie, but if you’re ok with experiencing some déjá vu, you might have a great time! You can check out the Ready or Not 2 trailer and see the movie starting March 20. And, check out what other upcoming horror movies are on the way while you’re at it.
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