- Samara Weaving returns with even more unhinged energy than the beloved 2019 original.
- Kathryn Newton joins as Faith, and their sisterly chemistry is genuinely electric throughout.
- The sequel expands the Satanic elite world in ways that feel giddy and surprisingly fresh.
- Ready Or Not 2 premiered at SXSW 2026 to strong early buzz from horror comedy fans.
Seven years is a long time to wait for a sequel. Long enough for a cult favourite to quietly become a modern horror classic, for its lead actress to build an entirely new career on the strength of one unforgettable performance, and for audiences to decide that yes, actually, they very much need to watch wealthy devil worshippers get blown apart again. Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is long overdue, and to no one’s surprise, it was well worth the wait. It opens in UAE cinemas on March 20 and it’s exactly the kind of loud, bloody, deeply satisfying entertainment that this particular moment calls for.
Picking up immediately where the original left off, Grace MacCaullay, the sole survivor of the Le Domas family’s brutal ritual game, quickly discovers that her victory has come at a price: she is now a marked woman in a far larger and more dangerous underground network of elite Satanic families, each competing to claim the High Seat of a global council. Her estranged younger sister Faith, played with sharp, crackling energy by Kathryn Newton, gets pulled into the chaos before Grace can catch her breath. And just like that, the game is on again, bigger, louder, and considerably more unhinged. The result is a high-energy sequel that expands on the grand estate setting of the original through a series of increasingly lavish set pieces involving casinos, golf courses, and other playgrounds of the ultra-wealthy. It’s stupid in the best possible way and it knows it.
What makes the film work, beyond its gloriously practical gore effects and pitch-black comedy, is the dynamic between its two leads. Weaving and Newton’s natural comedic chemistry is a joy to watch as they find hilarious ways to play off each other while being hunted alive, convincingly conveying the bickering that comes with being sisters as well as the support that makes each other stronger. Their relationship gives the film genuine emotional grounding without ever weighing down its relentlessly propulsive momentum.
Grace and Faith would have exactly the same arguments with each other under any circumstances. The fact that they’re having them while being chased by armed Satanists just adds a certain urgency. Elijah Wood, playing a comically deadpan underworld lawyer who exists to explain the rules of the competition with impeccable calm, is a supporting delight. Sarah Michelle Gellar brings icy, campy menace as the chief villain. The ensemble is having an absolute blast. It shows.
Where Ready Or Not 2 really shines is in its black comedy. The original had plenty of dark humour, but this chapter pushes the outrageousness considerably further, leaning into the overlap between horror and comedy with real gusto. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, working again with returning writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, understand precisely what kind of film they’re making and commit to it fully. Not since John Wick: Chapter 2 has a sequel so thoroughly re-contextualised its original as a small cog in a much bigger machine, and the expanded mythology feels genuinely exciting rather than overcomplicated. The narrative is a little messy in places and the setup takes time to find its footing, but once Grace and Faith are running for their lives through the third act, all of that is entirely forgiven.
Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is in UAE cinemas from March 20. Go in expecting chaos, come out thoroughly entertained. It’s gory, funny, wildly over the top, and one of the most purely enjoyable cinema experiences of the year so far. Samara Weaving remains one of the most compelling screen presences working today. This is her showcase and she owns every single frame.
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writers: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy
Starring: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Elijah Wood, Néstor Carbonell, Olivia Cheng, Varun Saranga, David Cronenberg, Kevin Durand
Release Date: March 20, 2026
