Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: READY OR NOT 2 - HERE I COME [SXSW Film - Austin, Texas]
The aspect of "Ready Or Not" worked on an aspect of contained terror which Radio Silence as directors tend to do well. After making "Abigail" which had its own approach and with them currently rumored to be approaching the new "Mummy" movie with Brendan Fraser, the duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett pick up the second film ("Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come" [Headliner]) right where the previous one ended. Even the first shot, as Kathryn Newton spoke on at the Q&A after the premiere, really established what Samara Weaving as the character Grace went through. Kathryn Newton comes aboard as Faith, Grace's sister which makes sense in the stakes of that it gives Grace something more to fight for. In this film, of course, the stakes need to be higher so the concept of the high seat has to take on a different resonance. The hunt push of course needs some new blood. Shawn Hatosy (currently with kudos from "The Pitt") plays one part of a brother/sister team who wants the seat. Their relationship is the most dynamic and fraught since it is Sarah Michelle Gellar playing Ursula, his sister (and their dad cameo is completely correct and spot on). Hatosy as Titus pushes the boundary with this guy because, while many of the other characters have a cartoonish intensity, Hatosy makes Titus almost feel real in this instance however heightened it is. Two scenes: one in a corridor and one inside a bedchamber (not what you think) are brutal but true to the character. Gellar already has the cred of course for this kind of progression from her Buffy days and it plays well in how it is framed here...and worthy of her inclusion.
The other families have their play-ins with a couple great almost blink and you miss it cameos. One fight scene in a ballroom between Weaving and a former paramour of her dead ex-husband ups the ante while keeping it practical. Newton as Faith, who is estranged from her sister, is what grounds the film of course against the brother/sister combo. Weaving as Grace needs to be a bad ass but Radio Silence knows that they need to let a little vulnerability peak through with her. She is a boss...but even bosses quake a bit once in a while. Grace just wants a nap...and a cigarette. The film does run the risk of melodrama with some of the lines at times but then one of the two girls comes back with a zinger that brings the film right back where it needs to be. And of course, the spontaneous combustion from the first film plays a part throughout. There are rules but there are also loopholes. Elijah Wood plays The Lawyer representing the man below per se and while his character is mainly for exposition, his eerie calm and the context that Wood brings gives it the right balance. Weaving continues her push definitely following in the cool fore steps of Milla Jovovich which should serve her well for years to come. The film is set primarily within one location and that serves it well in addition. The third act ups the ante a bit but, in many ways, it goes for visual flair and some iconic imagery (which works) but it does feel slightly different from the rest of the film. "Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come" is a fitting sequel to the original, probably due to Radio Silence's involvement. Was it necessary? Probably not. The first film exists on its own, but 2 definitely understands itself and while it doesn't surpass the original, it has a lot of fun trying to do so while creating something slightly darker, much of this due to Watosy's Titus. B+
By Tim Wassberg
