Ready or Not and Ready or Not 2 Review: Samara Weaving Is the Best Killer Bride in Horror

LinkImage

I didn’t know who Samara Weaving was before this. I only watched Ready or Not because I heard she’d been cast as Emma Frost in the new X-Men franchise. My wife wanted to watch Ready or Not 2 as well, since she’d already seen the first one, so we watched Ready or Not back-to-back with Ready or Not 2 on Disney+.

Well, I am now a Samara Weaving stan. Her performances across this franchise were exceptional. You can’t help but become a fan after seeing her. She carries the franchise on her shoulders, and she is, dare I say it, the best killer bride in film. Better than Jennifer Tilly’s Tiffany Valentine in Bride of Chucky. Better than Nathalie Emmanuel’s Evie in The Invitation, and why not better than The Bride in Kill Bill.

As for the movies, they’re a fun watch. I personally liked Ready or Not 2 more, because it felt more self-aware. It knew what it was. It wasn’t too serious, and it leaned heavier into the action, the explosions, and the gore. The first one seemed less sure of what it was. At first it seemed like a psychological thriller or a drama. Then it became a slow burn until you got to the action. So I liked the second one better. It was definitely more interesting.

There were parts in the first one where it knew it wasn’t taking itself too seriously too. I especially like how all the posters and promotional material showed the protagonist carrying a bunch of bullets and holding a shotgun, but in the actual movie, it’s quickly revealed that none of those bullets work, and she barely uses the shotgun. The second film leans into that same joke even harder. It was also hilarious that she has to put the wedding gown back on for “round two”.

The first one must have gotten good reviews, because a lot of people signed onto the sequel, including Scream Queen herself Sarah Michelle Gellar and Hobbit extraordinaire Elijah Wood, plus David Cronenberg (THE Cronenberg) and Kevin Durand joining the cast. The first film had already stacked names like Adam Brody, Andie MacDowell, and Henry Czerny, so the sequel just kept building on that.

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about the difference between actresses who act with botox and those who act without it. Samara Weaving definitely uses her whole face to convey the wild emotions her character goes through. I can picture her eyebrow scowl right now. Very distinctive and effective.

The other thing about the second film: I used to be a fan of Kathryn Newton, but after that performance, I think it was a wrong decision by her management to put her side by side with Samara Weaving. Samara Weaving totally outshined her: better acting, more likeable, more interesting, more attractive. I don’t think that was a good move for her, but again, they’re both in the Marvel Universe now.

Yeah, it was entertaining, so I think both are fun. You can watch either one without paying super close attention.

Ready or Not: ★★★☆☆ for me, ★★★★☆ for her.

Ready or Not 2: ★★★☆☆ for me, ★★★☆☆ for her.

You can follow my film diary on Letterboxd.