Unbelievably, it’s been nearly seven years since Ready Or Not hit theatres – that’s a whole presidency and pandemic ago. It was back when things felt a lot simpler. A lot has changed since then, but not much has improved for Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come ’s heroine, Grace (Samara Weaving), who is still having the worst luck imaginable.

Grace can’t catch a break. Mere hours after surviving the wedding from hell, and watching her in-laws and new husband explode in front of her, she wakes up in a hospital. Instead of rest and recovery, she’s greeted by her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) and, somehow, a brand-new bounty on her head.

Having survived the Le Domas family’s deadly game of hide and seek, Grace once again finds herself the target as the remaining devil-worshipping followers of Mr. Le Bail set their sights on her. With the Le Domas bloodline wiped out, the High Seat of the Council is up for grabs – and Grace, the sole surviving heir, is the only thing standing in the way. Four rival families will do anything it takes to take the throne and secure their direct line to the Devil.

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett clearly revel in the sequel’s heightened chaos. Leaning fully into the Satanic lore, Ready or Not 2 goes bigger, louder, and far more brutal than its predecessor. Fear not, people still explode, but those who don’t are dispatched in equally grisly fashion.

As the Danforth twins, Ursula (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Titus (Shawn Hatosy) are standouts, chewing through every scene as delightfully depraved siblings determined to hold onto power. Their dynamic is viciously entertaining, especially as betrayal simmers just beneath the surface. Add in a tongue-in-cheek cameo from David Cronenberg as their late patriarch, and you’ve got a cast that understands exactly what kind of movie this is.

It’s always fun to watch the ultra-wealthy 1% turn on each other, and the film certainly delivers on that front. Still, one can’t help but wish it were as sharp in its writing as it is in its carnage. Where the first film balanced brutality with biting wit, the sequel often sidelines its satire in favour of spectacle. The cast, including Elijah Wood, seems to be having a blast, but the story rarely digs deeper than its blood-soaked premise.

Weaving once again dons her tattered, blood-soaked wedding dress and yellow Converse to run the gauntlet, but this time it feels more repetitive than relentless. After all, in the film’s timeline, she’s barely had a day to recover from her first nuptials. Watching Grace endure yet another round of chaos so soon makes the journey feel a little rote, even if her exasperation is entirely justified.

Part of the issue lies in the setting. Filmed in Toronto, much of the action unfolds at the Danforth family’s casino resort and golf course. While visually striking at times, it lacks the intricate, claustrophobic charm of the Le Domas estate. The sprawling location feels underutilized, with its most imaginative set pieces saved for the final act.

Nevertheless, Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is entertaining. It may not reach the wickedly sharp heights of its 2019 predecessor, but it still delivers enough blood-soaked spectacle and unhinged performances to satisfy fans of the original. It’s bigger, louder, and meaner, just not quite smarter. So while Grace’s second run through hell doesn’t hit as hard, it proves there’s still some life (and a lot of death) left in this franchise.

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is in theatres now.