Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour: "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come"

NPR | March 23, 2026
Panel: Aisha Harris (Host), Glenn Weldon (Co-host), Joelle Monique (Filmmaker, critic, podcaster)

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, the highly anticipated sequel to the sleeper horror-comedy hit Ready or Not (2019). The panel explores whether the new film recaptures the wit, gore, and refreshing bite of the original, evaluates its expansion of the mythology, dissects its character dynamics, and discusses where it fits in the growing subgenre of "rich jerk snuff films." Discussion is lively but largely aligned—each critic finds fun in the mayhem, but also weighs the drawbacks of a more sprawling, less surprising sequel.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sequel Setup & World-Building

• Plot Recap (02:55): Grace (Samara Weaving), traumatized and suspected of murder after surviving her husband's satanic family ritual, is forced into another deadly game by an international council reminiscent of the Illuminati. The lore expands, introducing a new family hierarchy, new rules, and more over-the-top deaths.
• The introduction of Grace’s estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), both broadens and dilutes the stakes and emotional focus.
• New locations, such as a satanic golf resort, and new characters (including Elijah Wood and Sarah Michelle Gellar) add to the spectacle and shift the feel from intimate horror to globe-trotting conspiracy.

2. Comparing Sequel vs. Original

• The original film’s lean structure, brisk pace, and focused suspense impressed the panel. The sequel, by necessity, cannot be as surprising or tight.
  • Glenn Weldon (04:29):
    “The first film was such a revelation… It was so smart… It was very lean and brisk and streamlined. This film can’t be any of those things. I still had a great time.”
• Character development: The build-up of the sisters’ relationship is debated—some see it as necessary, others as a distraction from the gory fun.
  • Joelle Monique (03:56):
    “Did I enjoy it as much as the first one? Not quite, but still had a really good time… good murders and then a lot of fun playing up some of the tropes established in the first one.”

3. Expansion of Themes & Tropes

• Rich jerk snuff film subgenre: All agree that Ready or Not 2 fits snugly in the current wave of films satirizing (and punishing) the ultra-wealthy.
  • Aisha Harris (08:25):
    “Since this first one came out… there’s been a lot more movies… about rich, wealthy people who are awful and we want to watch them die. What did you call them, Glenn? Rich jerk snuff film.”
  • Glenn Weldon (09:12):
    “This film does…mix things up a bit. It’s not the same waspy white, rich jerks who get snuffed... Setting this at a satanic golf resort felt both fitting and inevitable.”

4. Character and Relationship Dynamics

• Sisterly dynamic: Mixed reactions—the emotional baggage between Grace and Faith is seen as repetitive.
  • Glenn Weldon (06:06):
    “I still felt every one of those scenes was just wasting precious time from what this film wants to be… a rich, jerk snuff film.”
• Antagonist variety: The sequel introduces rival family members (e.g., Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Hadassey as competitive siblings), adding intrigue and giving the deaths a “satisfying twist.”
  • Aisha Harris (14:13):
    “You have their brother-sister relationship… they are vying for the win… the deaths of some of them… did make it a little bit more satisfying.”

5. Kills, Gore, and Comedy

• Inventive, over-the-top kills: The incompetence of the villains and slapstick violence is a highlight.
  • Joelle Monique (12:09):
    “Bazookas are pointed the wrong way. They’re shooting like stormtroopers… it makes it kind of enjoyable.”
• Visual gags: The return of the blood-soaked wedding dress and slapstick hospital gown scenes are called out as trademarks of the franchise.

6. Self-Awareness & Franchise Possibilities

• Rules, tone, and genre conventions: The panel enjoys the “clauses and rules” that organize the carnage and hint at larger conspiracies, even as they note the sequel loses some of the gothic energy of the original mansion setting for a golf course (15:52).
• Franchise fatigue vs. potential: The hosts would welcome a third installment if it stayed fun and inventive, with wishes for punchier dialogue and perhaps a new take on the deadly games.
  • Joelle Monique (16:28):
    “I would like to see a third. I’m just letting the studio know… This franchise—it’s just fun. I love a final girl. I love a good for her moment. And this movie has that in spades.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On outlandish lore:
  “The high seat is up for grabs, and the heads of each family make Grace play another high-stakes round of hide and seek. Wow.”
  — Aisha Harris (02:55)
• On the core appeal:
  “This film is made for the catharsis of the hissable villain meeting a hilariously violent death. The fist pump factor is very high.”
  — Glenn Weldon (06:06)
• On Elijah Wood’s performance:
  “He’s very good at these kind of roles. He’s good at just getting in and getting out and making weird faces and being kind of sinister.”
  — Aisha Harris (08:23)
• On franchise rules:
  “If you remember, the OG family they played all kinds of different games… and then I realized, Glenn, it’s called Ready or Not. It’s got to be hide and seek.”
  — Glenn Weldon (15:07, 15:27)
• On final girls:
  “I love a final girl. I love a good for her moment. And this movie has that in spades.”
  — Joelle Monique (16:28)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:55] — Plot recap and setup for Ready or Not 2
• [03:56] — Joelle’s take: expectations and first reactions
• [04:29] — Glenn on sequel’s tone and continuity with original
• [06:06] — Critique on sister dynamic vs. genre expectations
• [08:23] — Elijah Wood’s role and expansion of lore
• [09:12] — Rich jerk snuff film trend, satire of the wealthy
• [12:09] — Joelle on creative, comedic murder set pieces
• [14:13] — Aisha on new sibling rivals and character deaths
• [15:07] — Returning to hide and seek; franchise self-awareness
• [16:28] — Hope for a third film and the enduring appeal of the “final girl” trope

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Tone and Style

• The conversation is informal, sharp, and playful, full of camaraderie, in-jokes, and shared enthusiasm for horror-comedy conventions.
• The hosts lean into pop culture references and speak candidly about what’s fun, what drags, and what they hope for in future entries.

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Conclusion

Verdict: Ready or Not 2 doesn’t quite recapture the sharp surprise of the original, but delivers on bloody, cathartic fun, inventive deaths, and franchise self-awareness. The new mythos adds energy and opportunity for satirical jabs at the rich, but the emotional arcs and expanded cast sometimes muddle the primal thrill. Still, for lovers of horror-comedy and final girl power, it’s worth a night at the movies—especially with a crowd.

“Bring back theaters, especially for movies like these. This is what they are made for.”
— Aisha Harris (17:41)

Transcript

[Sponsor/Announcer]

This message comes from Capella University. That spark you feel? That's your drive for more. Capella University's flexpath learning format lets you earn your degree at your pace without putting life on pause. Learn [e-mail].

[Aisha Harris]

you're listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour, the podcast that keeps you plugged in about the latest and greatest in movies, tv, music and more. And if you're a pop culture junkie who's not following the show yet, we're thinking you need to fix that right now by following Pop Culture Happy Hour on your favorite podcast app. Now onto the show. The cheeky horror comedy Ready or Not took the familiar premise of dealing with hellish in laws and kicked it up like 100 notches. It starred Samara Weaving as a bride who's forced to partake in her new family's game tradition on the night of her wedding. The game is hide and seek, and as you might recall, it turns out quite deadly. Well, ready or not, here comes the scene. It picks up right where the previous story left off, but this time with more lore, war, gore and more stars like Elijah Wood and Sarah Michelle Geller. I'm Aisha Harris and today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we're talking about Ready or Not two. Here I Come.

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and the following message come from Alexa say hello to the all new Alexa. Chat naturally about anything and watch your to do list disappear. Planning date night one Conversation handles everything from dinner reservations to entertainment. Alexa learns your style, anticipates what's next, and puts thousands of services at your fingertips. Experience AI that's all yours. And now Alexa is free with prime on your Amazon Devices like echo and fire. TV Amazon.com Alexaplus joining me today is

[Aisha Harris]

my co host, Glenn Weldon. Hey, Glenn.

[Glenn Weldon]

Hey, Aisha.

[Aisha Harris]

Also with us is filmmaker, pop culture critic and iHeartRadio producer Joelle Monique. Welcome back, Joelle.

[Joelle Monique]

Thanks for having me, Aisha. Appreciate it.

[Aisha Harris]

So great to have you both here. So Samara Weaving plays Grace in Ready or Not two Here I Come. And it opens with Grace having just barely survived her wedding night. In the first movie from 2019. Her wealthy new husband's family tried to kill her before dawn as part of a satanic ritual. You know, totally, totally normal stuff. They didn't succeed, and so everyone in the family, including her husband, spontaneously combusted. Now she's traumatized and hospitalized, and the police suspect her of murder. And her estranged younger sister, Faith suddenly shows up because Grace still has her as her emergency contact. She's played by Kathryn Newton. But even worse than all of that is this. Grace's survival has messed with the power structure of a secret international council that's kind of like the Illuminati. The high seat is up for grabs, and the heads of each family make Grace play another high stakes round of hide and seek. Wow. Ready or Not 2 is in theaters now. Joelle, I'm gonna start with you. Were you ready or were you not for this sequel?

[Joelle Monique]

Listen, the first time I saw the original film, I was completely unready. I had no idea what I was stepping you and I absolutely fell in love. So I was very ready for this one. And I will say, did I enjoy as much as first one? Not quite, but still had a really good time. Some of my favorites are in here. Great, like character actors throughout good murders and then a lot of fun playing up of some of the tropes established in the first one. I'm kind of all in on this series. It's a good time at the movies. I enjoyed it.

[Aisha Harris]

Glenn, what about you? How are we feeling about this one?

[Glenn Weldon]

Yeah, same. I mean, this is the same directing team. Matt Bettinelli, Olpin and Tyler Gillette. It's the same writing team, Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. That's a good thing. I mean, we're going on vibes here, but it certainly feels like they just wanted to keep telling the story, not necessarily wanted to build a franchise. I'm sure they did. They did, but it doesn't feel like that and that's important. But as Joelle mentioned, that first film was such a revelation to me. It was a surprise. It came out the dead of August. It was this nasty piece of work that felt like a very worthy addition to what is a surprisingly robust film. Samara Weaving kicks butt and ends up covered in blood. There are many, many films in that genre. There should be a letterboxd list if there isn't already. And it was so smart on how it did it. Like, it was so smart that the lace of her wedding dress acted as capillaries that kind of soaked up the blood and then carried it throughout the dress. So you kind of could mark time by how red her dress was. It was very lean and brisk and streamlined. This film can't be any of those things. I mean, this film can't be a surprise. It's not lean or streamlined because it is an expansion of this world and this myth. I still had a great time. I am me. So obviously, I thought we wasted way too much time on the sister emotional baggage stuff. This film finds so much time for these two to have a surprising amount of heart to hearts that relitigate old family baggage that should not be their priority at that moment in time. I understand the narrative impulse behind it. Because you want us to invest in the sisters. She can't just be a plot device.

[Joelle Monique]

I wanted to invite you to the wedding.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

I wouldn't have come.

[Joelle Monique]

I know, But I wanted you to know that I wanted you there.

[Glenn Weldon]

I still felt every one of those scenes when they hit was just wasting precious time from what this film wants to be and it should be, which is a rich, jerk snuff film. That's what I paid my money for. I do envy the folks who see this in a theater because I watched it alone. This film is made for the catharsis of the hissable villain meeting a hilariously violent death. The fist pump factor is very high in a film like this. I had to do it on my home couch. I'm in.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, I think we're all kind of in alignment here. I know that's not that. Maybe not that interesting, but what I loved about the first film, and I remember seeing it all those years ago, my goodness, it took a really long time for the sequel to get here. But what I loved about that movie is that it was just very lean and very, like, we got just enough information about Grace. You know, she's from a foster family, and that's all we need to know. Like, that's why they're not there. She has some baggage, but we don't need to know what that baggage is. Exactly. And, you know, that movie also had Adam Brody and Andie McDowell, but, like every character, they were rich jerks. But also they had a little bit of. Just a little bit of, like, difference between them, enough to make it feel a little bit different. And you're in and out and you're following this journey. And with this one, I agree that the sister. I don't think we needed her to be there. It just felt forced in many ways. But what I did appreciate about this movie is the expansion of the fact that this isn't just about this one family, actually. There's like an entire circle living in these times and learning about certain things. It's like, oh, everything is connected. And actually, maybe conspiracy theories are true to some extent. I'm not putting my tinfoil hat on fully. But I will say that aspect of this movie and the way they choose to do it with these clauses and these rules, and the rules are fun. Like, there are rules that pop up in this movie that help explain why people are dying or why they might not die or might not deserve to die. And it was fun to see Elijah Wood sort of playing the facilitator here as the lawyer. Your family must be represented by the eldest member or legally appointed head of household in all trials of succession, per Article 2, Section 3, Subsection C. He's very good at these kinds of roles. He's good at just getting in and getting out and making weird faces and being kind of sinister.

[Glenn Weldon]

Cherubically sinister. Yes.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes. Man, that man has not aged. He's like, on the Pharrell track. I don't know what he's doing, but he still looks like he is a baby. But, yeah, I thought overall this was. It was fun. And I mean, what did you make of the Big Bads? Because one thing I do have to say, like, since this first one came out, not that they didn't exist before, but since this movie has come out, there's been a lot more movies that are kind of similar in terms of, like, rich. Wealthy people are awful and we want to watch them die. What did you call them, Glenn? Rich jerk snuff film. Like, we've seen quite a few of those movies. Do we think all of that time passing has maybe affected the way this movie hits you, given that we've seen this many, many times before in recent years?

[Glenn Weldon]

Well, what this film does is it kind of mixes things up a bit. So it's not the same waspy white, rich jerks who get snuffed. It's they bring in folks from other lands and they flirt with stereotypes. I think that it acknowledges that it does that. But it's a rich bag. I can only say, as someone who hates golf and all that golf stands for, setting this at a satanic golf resort felt both fitting and inevitable. I was here for that. And, you know, I don't think I'm going to return to this film as often as I have the first, but I'm glad it's out there, man.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Joelle Monique]

I think what made the first one so deliciously enjoyable was not just that they were like mustache twirly, but that the crime was so egregiously sinister and personal. Like, in meeting this woman who's like, I have no family and I'm completely alone and I'm so excited to marry into this family and watch them completely turn against her. And then I think in giving her a sister in this one, some of that lone survivor stuff is obviously removed. And so the stakes feel a little lower. And then on top of that, it's so much less personal. The stakes for the wealthy folks, they're not directly connected to her. It's kind of broad. It takes away some of the, like. Yes. I'm so glad they got their comeuppance. What I do think they do really well in this film is the initial setup, you know, at the end of the Ready or Not Spoilers. She lives. That's how we got a second one. They come right back to that point at the top of this movie. And she's cool and she's smoking and then she passes out. They completely undo the final girl moment for her. They take her to the hospital, they clean her up. Her putting back on. Before we started recording, we're talking about how part of her getting back into the chaos is, you know, as she's attacked, she's like, okay, so the game's not over. I can't fight in my hospital gown. I have this dress that is covered in blood and shredded. I'll put it back on now. If you're a logical person, you're like, somewhere in this hospital. Yes, there are additional gowns, but there might also be just a lost and found. There might be a gift shop downstairs. There are other one to look around for anything else. But for me, as someone who did really enjoy watching the dress transform over the first part, I was kind of excited to see her back in it. I wish the sister bits had been played a little bit better. I don't mind stopping to talk in a horror movie. I always think it's kind of funny and silly when we figure it out. But I think if the conversation is the Exact same beats every time. You're kind of like, okay, we get it. As much as I think the relationship between Grace and Faith could have been pumped up a little bit and had a little bit more dynamic, I kind of did enjoy Katherine Newton in this movie. I thought she was a lot of fun. I thought the energy she and Mara had was really fun. Listen, you guys seem like good people,

[Aisha Harris]

and I don't even know why I'm here.

[Joelle Monique]

We haven't seen each other in like seven years.

[Glenn Weldon]

Why not?

[Aisha Harris]

It's complicated.

[Joelle Monique]

And also what really works for me is the murders in this movie. You're like, how does this girl just keep getting away? At some point you're like, this is illogical. They've got all of the weapons. She has nothing. She's been beat to hell. But these people are so incompetent in their ability to kill that it makes it kind of enjoyable. Bazookas are pointed the wrong way. They're shooting like stormtroopers, just completely missing in an open field. There's no reason. And that kind of works for me as a how is she still on her feet? Situation.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Glenn Weldon]

The film flirts with realism in the beginning. Cause it kind of has to. It doesn't want to return Grace to butt kicking mode right away. She's traumatized. She's in shock because she needs an arc. Right. She has to go through some kind of narrative arc of gaining her power. But they do away with that so soon. I was so grateful for it because as soon as you realize that the only way this movie can work is if, in your head, you kind of slide it into the superhero genre. Because Grace clearly has Wolverine's healing factor. But again, who cares? Who cares, right?

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah. I mean, at one point she gets injured in a way that is very similar to the way she got. She was injured literally like 24 hours before. And yet somehow she's still able to wield whatever weapon she needs to in the moment. And I think that, like, regarding the wedding dress, which I find, again, very, very fascinating that she would put that back on. They should have probably called it, like, I don't know, ready or not, back in the wedding dress. Like, that's what it should have been called instead.

[Glenn Weldon]

Something borrowed, something.

[Joelle Monique]

Something new.

[Aisha Harris]

But yeah, one of the relationships, you know, the sister's relationship. But then you also had a brother sister relationship between Sarah Michelle Geller and Sean Hadassey. And Sean Hadassey, who I recognize from the pit. He's one of the doctors on the pit. I was like, oh, look at him. He's like playing a full on villain. Here they're playing siblings who. This is another thing about sequels is that often with sequels, they have bigger stars, including a cameo from David Cronenberg, who's playing the Sean Hadassey and Sarah Michelle Gellar character's dad in a scene.

[Joelle Monique]

I would say if you invite David Cronenberg to a movie, give him more to do.

[Glenn Weldon]

Yeah, sure.

[Aisha Harris]

But you have that sort of their brother, sister relationship and they're supposed to be twins. Sure. I found those relationships a lot more interesting just because, you know, they are vying for the win. Like, all of them want this, whereas the Grace and Faith character don't want to be involved in this at all. And I thought that sort of dynamic was interesting to see. And it did make the deaths of some of them because a lot of them inevitably are dying. It did make it a little bit more satisfying in a way that I wasn't expecting to see. Overall, I don't know how much there is to say about it other than, like, it's a fun time. There are going to be a lot more deaths. It's a little bit longer. You can kind. I felt like it kind of felt long towards the end, but, you know, there's some great needle drops. There's Amy Winehouse at the beginning.

[Glenn Weldon]

I was gonna say there's a great fight scene in a ballroom that really. It's really, really funny.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Joelle Monique]

Good comedy.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Glenn Weldon]

I'll admit this. There was a part of me that thought this was treading old ground by going back to hide and seek. Hide and seek until dawn. That same premise once again. Because if you remember, the OG Family, they played all kinds of different games. I thought, why are we going back to hide and seek? And then I realized, Glenn, it's called Ready or Not. It's got to be hide and seek.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Glenn Weldon]

That's the franchise, right? I mean, it's always going to be hide and seek. Just deal with it.

[Joelle Monique]

No, bring out that creepy card thing again. Play the weird song.

[Glenn Weldon]

It was part of it.

[Joelle Monique]

I feel like that creepy, like, crank up song and maybe even you can't. I don't know if you can do this a third time, but the second time she pulls hide and seek again, I think I would have been like, wow, here we go. Super funny. I think some of that gothic tone is missing from part two.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, well, well, yeah. You're not gonna get goth vibes from a golf course. Right? Like, that's not. That's inherently not what I mean, having recently Rewatched the first one. Again, part of the issue, I think, and what I. If I remember correctly, like, hide and seek is the only game that actually is like, the bad one. Yeah. The deadly one. Like, the other games are just like simple parlor games or whatever games you play with your family. And so then we would have no movie unless they invented. I don't know, maybe they play mafia next time. Maybe it's like traitors. Maybe there's a traitor's version of it.

[Joelle Monique]

Would love to see it.

[Aisha Harris]

Except people actually die.

[Glenn Weldon]

It can't be Parcheesi.

[Aisha Harris]

That's true.

[Joelle Monique]

I would like to see a third. I'm just letting the studio know if you guys wanted to put a third out, I would still be in theaters. This franchise is. It's just fun. I love a final girl. I love a good for her moment. And this movie has that in spades. So I really, I'm. I'm excited for. To see a gen pop reaction to this. I might go to the movies. I think you're right, Glenn. Seeing this with an audience, it's going to hit.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Glenn Weldon]

And I will say I have a request for a third. If they do do a third. The one thing that both of these films kind of let you down a little bit on is in the dialogue you want, given this premise. You want Cris biting, withering, you want witty and what you get. I mean, they'll start something. And then this happened a lot in the first film. Instead of saying something biting and withering and sarcastic, they would just curse and, you know, okay, that's a fun rug pull every so often. But you can't keep doing that. It is the same writing team, same merely functional dialogue. But again, I'm in.

[Aisha Harris]

I don't know. I think we've given them an idea for the next movie. It needs to be more like traitors. People can get banished, but they can also actually get murdered.

[Joelle Monique]

And that would be very fun.

[Aisha Harris]

Have a little Alan Cumming cameo. And we need Rian Johnson to come in and punch us up a bit.

[Glenn Weldon]

I think that's exactly what I guess what I'm saying.

[Aisha Harris]

I think that is what we are saying here.

[Glenn Weldon]

Maybe that's unrealistic.

[Aisha Harris]

Well, we still had a good time, and hopefully, Joelle, you will have a good time seeing it in theaters. Hopefully more people see it in theaters. Bring back theaters, especially for movies like these. This is what they are made for. That brings us to the end of our show. Joelle, Monique, Glenn Weldon, thanks so much for being here. We were ready and we were here.

[Glenn Weldon]

Thank you.

[Joelle Monique]

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

[Aisha Harris]

This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, Carly Rubin and Mike Katsif and edited by our showrunner, Jessica Reedy. Hello. Come in. Provides our theme music. Thanks for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr, and if you're not already following the show, do that right now. I'm Aisha Harris, and we'll see you all next time.

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