Ready or Not: Here I Come

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Ready or Not: Here I Come follows Samara Weaving’s Grace MacCaullay as she once again finds herself caught up in a deadly came of cat and mouse. Filmmakers Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, armed with Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy’s screenplay, delivers a slick, watchable endeavor that generally sustains the viewer’s interest and attention over the course of its (overlong) 108 minutes, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the picture’s tolerable atmosphere is due primarily to its smattering of engrossing set-pieces and the uniformly engaging, charismatic performances – with, in terms of the latter, Weaving’s appealing work is matched by eclectic periphery players like Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Shawn Hatosy. (Elijah Wood’s small-but-pivotal turn as a pragmatic lawyer remains a recurring highlight within the erratic proceedings.) And while the picture never quite becomes as gripping or enthralling as Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, Ready or Not: Here I Come, which climaxes with an admittedly unexpected (and satisfying) final stretch, mostly comes off as a decent-enough sequel that should satiate fans of the (less compelling) original film.

**1/2 out of ****