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

Episode Date: March 23, 2026

The cheeky horror comedy Ready Or Not starred Samara Weaving as a bride who’s forced to partake in her new family’s game of hide and seek, which turns quite deadly. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come picks up right where the previous story left off, but this time with more lore, more gore, and more stars like Elijah Wood, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Kathryn Newton.Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopcultureSubscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhourSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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, on to 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 starts 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 sequel. It picks up right where the previous story left off, but this time with more lore, more 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, too. Here I come. Join me today is my co-host, Glenn Weldon. Hey, Glenn. Hey, Asia. Also with us is filmmaker, pop culture critic, and I Heart Radio producer, Joelle Monique. Welcome back, Joelle. Thanks for having me, Aisha, appreciate it. 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 Catherine 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 two is in theaters now. Joelle, I'm going to start with you. Were you ready or were you not for this sequel? Listen, the first time I saw the original film, I was completely unready. I had no idea what I was stepping into 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. Glenn, what about you? How are we feeling about this one? Yes, same. I mean, this is the same directing team, Matt Bettnelli Olpen and Tyler Gillette. It's the same writing team, Guy Busek and R. Christopher Murphy. Yeah.

That's a good thing. I mean, we're going on vibes here, but it certainly feels like they just wanted to keep telling this 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 genre of Samara weaving kicks butt and ends up covered in blood. There are many, many films in that genre. There should be a letterbox 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 mythology. 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, you know, 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 sister. She can't just be a plot device. I wanted to invite you to the wedding. I wouldn't have come. I know that I wanted you to know that I wanted you there. I still felt every one of those scenes when they hit was just wasting precious time from what, this is. This film wants to be, and it should be, which is a rich jerk snuff film. That's what I pay money for.

I do envy the folks who see this in a theater because I watch 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. Yeah. I think we're all kind of in the line in here. I know that's not that.

Maybe not that interesting. But what I loved about the first film, And when 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 Andy McDowell. But, like, every character, they were rich jurors. 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 it's 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.

For 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. Cherubically sinister, yes. Yes, man, that man has not aged. He's like on the Farrell 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.

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 do 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. 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 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.

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. 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 them. that lone survivors of 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 ready or not,

spoiler, 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. Do you want 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 have 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 Catherine Newton in this movie. I thought she was a lot of fun. I thought the energy she and Smara had was really fun.

Listen, you guys seem like good people, and I don't even know why I'm here. We haven't seen each other in like seven years. Why not? 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. Yeah.

Yeah. The film flirts with. realism in the beginning because 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? We have 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 that 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? 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 you 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 they should have been called instead. Something borrowed. Something. Something new. 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

Hadassie and Sean Hadassie, 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 Hattese and Sarah Michelle Geller. character's dad in a scene. I would say if you invite David Cronenberg to a movie, give him more to do.

Yeah, sure. Yes. 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. 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. I was just going to say. There's a great fight scene in a ballroom that really It's really, really funny. Yes.

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

Just deal with it. No, bring out that creepy card. thing again. Play the weird song. It was part of it. 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 when she pulls high and seek again, I think out of it.

But like, wow, here we go. Super funny. I think some of that gothic tone is missing from part two. Yeah. Well, yeah, you're not going to get goth vines from a golf course, right? Like that's not. That's inherently not what it is. 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 deadly one. 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 invent it. I don't know. Maybe they play Mafia next time. Maybe it's like traitors. Maybe there's a traitors version of it. We would love to see it.

Except people actually die. It can't be parchezy. That's really true. 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'm excited. I'm excited 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. Yeah. Yeah. 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 crisp 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. You can't keep doing that. It is the same writing team. Same merely functional dialogue. But again, I'm in. 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. And that would be very fun. Have a little Alan coming cameo. And we need Ryan Johnson to come in and punch us up a bit. I think that's. Exactly. I think that is what we are saying here. Maybe that's unrealistic. 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.

Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. This episode was produced by Liz Metzger. Carly Rubin and Mike Katzif 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.