It was always going to be a tall order for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come to justify its existence. The 2019 original was a rip-roaring good time with a crowd-pleasingly simple premise that worked across pretty much every aspect. To its credit, the sequel does attempt to introduce some new world building for audiences to sink their teeth into, but ultimately the familiar ground it treads feels a little too close to the original without offering anything particularly memorable in the process.

Returning directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett pick up Ready or Not 2: Here I Come in the immediate aftermath of the first film, with Grace (Samara Weaving) having survived the brutal ordeal at the hands of the Le Domas family. Following her survival of the deadly game of hide and seek, an inadvertent opportunity has arisen for a John Wick-esque high council made up of six powerful families, all now presented with the chance to rise to the top and quite literally control the world.

All the families need to do is kill Grace in yet another game of hide and seek, only this time Grace’s sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) has unfortunately been dragged into the mix. With the same premise and rules as the first, which audiences are quickly brought up to speed with through various exposition dumps, Grace as the bait must now survive until dawn. The added twist is that she can usurp all of the families and claim control of the council herself should she make it through the night.

What follows lacks much of the surprise, suspense, and intensity that made the first film feel so fresh. The novelty that helped the original stand out is inevitably diminished because much of it has been seen and done before. That is not for lack of effort, with a few curveballs thrown in here and there, but none are quite enough to offset the predictability of what unfolds.

To the credit of the stunt and make-up departments in particular, the action sequences and kill scenes are impressively inventive and absolutely drenched in gore that is guaranteed to make audiences squirm in their seats. The film certainly ups the ante from the first movie and these moments are easily the most enjoyable aspect of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, with one particular sequence likely to live long in the memory.

The sequel also leans heavily into the comedy, and for the most part that proves to be an inspired decision. The jokes regularly land and act as a welcome palate cleanser among the gushing blood and exploding body parts. That said, the family drama between Grace and Faith feels somewhat underdeveloped and the emotions the film attempts to conjure never quite land with the impact they should.

That said, Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton are excellent in the leading roles. Weaving especially, as Grace, has firmly cemented the character as a modern day horror icon. The same can be said for much of the supporting cast, with Elijah Wood as the council’s lawyer proving a particular standout, stealing many of the scenes he appears in and delivering some of the film’s best lines.

Ultimately, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is something of a mixed bag. Those who loved the first film are likely to have just as good a time here, but anyone who was not won over before will find little that changes their mind. Still, with a rather insane final twist and a stronger lean into the satanic cult-like nature of the council of families, it does just about enough to make it a worthwhile trip to the cinema.