I Loved Ready Or Not, But I'm Not Sure How To Feel About The Idea Of A Sequel
Well, here we go again.
We have caught word that another recent horror movie favorite with absolutely no need for a follow-up is also reportedly getting one anyway. The victim this time is Ready or Not — the acclaimed, instant horror-comedy movie classic from 2019 that broke filmmaking collective Radio Silence into the mainstream (before they took over the Scream franchise) and made star Samara Weaving one of the top Scream Queens of her time.
Just like my reaction to the announcement of They Follow (and like any other new sequel, remake, or reboot), I feel conflicted by the reported information that Ready or Not 2 is in development, which comes from The InSneider. On one hand, I feel there is truly no need to try to whip up a second chapter to a movie that already effectively completed its own story (and received a five-star review from us), but on the other hand, I like to keep an open mind to these sorts of things and would hate to be the guy who preemptively judges what could turn out to be a second home run. Perhaps what might help put my (or even your) mind at ease is going through the potential pros and cons of a sequel to one of the best horror movies in recent memory, below.
Why I Would Rather Not See A Ready Or Not Sequel
If you have not yet seen the uproarious ending of Ready or Not, now is your chance to make like our beloved protagonist and get out while you can, because a big spoiler is coming. If you have seen the film in its entirety, keep on seeking.
The thriller follows Grace, who is tasked by her new family of wealthy board game developers to randomly select a game to play on her wedding night, as part of a long-honored tradition. The game selected is “Hide-and-Seek,” which actually means that she will be hunted for death by the others, who are convinced they will perish if they do not catch and sacrifice her by sun-up. They learn the ritual was no lie and, after watching them all explode into a bloody mass, Grace steps outside the now burning building for a smoke. In a moment that immortalizes her as a great modern Final Girl, a firefighter stops and asks what happened to the blood-soaked bride, to which she cheekily replies, “In-laws.”
Apparently, Grace was meant to die in the original script from Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, but I am so relieved that director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet opted for the more positive — and explosively gory — twist because rarely have I seen a more perfect conclusion to a horror movie. Thus, that is where I believe the story of Ready or Not should, indeed, conclude and remain as such, and the ending’s flawless execution is not the only reason.
First of all, Grace survives one of the most traumatic ordeals that a person could ever go through — only made worse by the fact that it is at the hands of her new husband, Alex (Mark O’Brien), and his Satanist family, whose approval was likely hard enough to win — and the filmmakers want to put her through more torture? Second of all, how do they expect to incorporate her into another violent escapade like that and in a way that makes sense? Because I don’t see her ever agreeing to another marriage proposal after that or going near anyone who even remotely qualifies as part of the 1%, either.
Nine times out of ten, an attempt to craft a needless follow-up to a critically and commercially successful one-off horror movie does not generate the same results. As a fan of Ready or Not, who saw it during its original theatrical run and again on a plane just months later because I already wanted to see it again, I do not want to see it fall prey to such a fate.
Why I Would Like To See A Ready Or Not Sequel
So, it appears that one of our own writers, Sarah El-Mahmoud, disagrees with my opinion of Ready or Not 2 and, in fact, was hoping for a sequel just a month after the first one came out in 2019. In her piece regarding the topic, she actually makes a few good points about why the original deserves a sequel. In addition to its slow-and-steady box office success and wide critical acclaim, she thinks the follow-up could serve as a chance to delve deeper into the history of the Le Domas “Dominion” or unveil what other families are under the control of Mr. LeBail. I also have a few ideas of my own that we will get into soon, but first let me explain why I am somewhat open to this idea, too.
Despite my cynical rumblings from before, another glimpse into the wicked world of Ready or Not does actually sound appealing, especially to see more of Samara Weaving as scrappy survivalist Grace, whom the Australian actor is reportedly expected to reprise. Furthermore, I have yet to dislike a movie that Radio Silence has been involved in, so if they submit approval by at least signing on as producers, I would consider that to be a good sign. Not to mention, the filmmaker that has reportedly been tapped to helm the project, Adam Robitel, has already put out some impressive entries to the genre — such as the clever 2014 found footage thriller, The Taking of Deborah Logan, and the Escape Room movies.
With the promising details that have been provided so far, I think there are worse ideas out there than a Ready or Not sequel. The question is, what could it be about?
Ways A Ready Or Not Sequel Could Actually Work
As I touched on before, if Ready or Not 2 is really bound to happen, most importantly, it needs a good story. I think to really make this work, the plot needs to be fresh, avoids repeating the events of the original and — if Weaving truly is game to return — can plausibly incorporate Grace into the mix. Most of my suggestions do, indeed, involve our beloved Final Girl and each in different ways.
For instance, they could make it a haunted house movie that ups the ante on the original’s family dysfunction theme by seeing Grace inherit the Le Domas’ estate (given that the firefighters at the end managed to save the mansion from ruin), where she must then contend with her in-laws’ vengeful spirits. Or, maybe, the story could take a Glass Onion or Die Hard 2 route and introduce an entirely new bizarre and violent situation with a new cast of characters that Grace somehow becomes embroiled — perhaps even at a mental rehabilitation facility she checks herself into to overcome her recent trauma.
An idea that especially intrigues, despite admittedly contradicting my previous demands, would not be a sequel, but a prequel, which shows another deadly game of Hide-And-Seek from the family’s past. While it would mean removing Grace as the protagonist, she could appear in a present day cold open or — in another fun idea — cast Weaving as the original victim of the Le Domas’ deadly Hide-And-Seek games.
At this point, I figure that there is nothing that I could personally do to prevent a Ready or Not sequel if it is truly on the way, so I might as well let go an hope for the best. That is, indeed, the game we play.
