4K Digital Review of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

 

Ready or Not 2: Here I come is the sequel to the 2019 Ready or Not. Taking place several years after the event of the first movie, we once again find Grace (Samara Weaving). She has found out that the game of the first movie isn't over. Her surviving the night of the first movie has caused a new game to begin. The rest of the devil-worshiping families from around the world have sent members of their family to hunt down Grace. 

Hunting Grace is a pair of insane siblings named Ursula and Titus (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy). Grace's sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) has shown up at the wrong time and is forced into the game with her sister. Will the two sisters survive?

While there is a lot of familiarity to the sequel, it is still a lot of fun. The first movie took place within the confines of a mansion and this one is on the grounds of a casino resort. Sarah and Shawn do steal the movie in the scenes they are in. 

Video:

The streaming 4K video is stunning. Unlike the first film that created a huge sense of claustrophobia, there is a lot more open space in this one and much of it takes place during the day. The bloody scenes are shown here in top-notch detail. The blood, the organs and body parts are all shown in extreme detail. 

Audio:

The Dolby Atmos audio track pulls no punches. The dialogue is crystal clear from the front channels. The ambient sounds literally surround you. It is everything you wanted for a horror movie. 

Bonus Material:

• The Game Goes On: The Making of Ready of Not 2 - a 4-part behind-the-scenes featurette featuring filmmakers, talent, designs, and the practical effects 

1. Part 1: Written in Blood - The directors and cast discuss what sets the sequel apart from the first film, and how the team expanded the story in a meaningful way
2. Part 2: Casting the Chaos - A spotlight on the film's main cast and what they each brought to their roles
3. Part 3: Designing for Destruction - Dive deeper into the design and execution of the film's finale with a look at the set construction, practical effects and the bloody aftermath left behind
4. Part 4: Blood, Guts and Practical Mayhem - Explore how the film's explosive deaths and blood gags were created with this breakdown of the practical effects and innovations, highlighting how the team built and expanded upon the techniques from the first film  

• Rules of the game - learn the rules of this deadly game of Hide and Seek, from the contained family ritual to the expanded high-stakes hunt 
• Gag Reel
• Audio Commentary - Directors/Executive Producers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton
• Audio Commentary - Directors/Executive Producers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, executive producers/writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, producers James Vanderbilt and Tripp Vinson, and editor Jay Prychindny

Conclusion:

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is not quite as entertaining as the first one but it is still a wild ride. With solid video and audio plus a wealth of bonus material that is generally lacking on most releases, this is a welcomed addition to your horror library.

Ready of Not 2: Here I Come is now available on digital with a Blu-ray and DVD release on June 16th.

*The movie was provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment for this review but the review is strictly my own opinion*

4K Digital Review: The Boogeyman

 

Based off of a classic short story by Stephen King, The Boogeyman starts in a horrific manner with a baby's murder. We then cut to the Harper family who is dealing with the loss of their mom. The father, Will Harper (Chris Messina) is a therapist, trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and the youngest Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair). To add to their problems is Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) who comes to Will to talk about a being who killed his kids. 

Will's daughters start seeing a mysterious being in the house. The sisters work together to figure out what is happening and if they can get rid of the monster. But they get brought into a nightmare and now their lives are on the line.

For a PG-13 movie, you get a solid jump scare movie with little gore. The Boogeyman looks at fear and paranoia based upon grief. A solid horror movie that will make you think if the monster was real or just a way to show how people overcome fear and grief.

Video:

The 4K digital stream video is a solid transfer. For a film that is very dark, even in the daytime shots, the black levels and details are rich and inky. There are a lot of blue and gray filters throughout the entire movie. The black levels show off incredible detail. The HDR and Dolby Vision enhancements also help showcase the details in the dark. 

Audio:

The Dolby 5.1 track is solid and goes hand in hand perfectly with the fine video transfer. The front channels provide crystal clear dialogue. The surround channels will go into overdrive when you hear the monster moving around the room. An aggressive audio track is perfect for this type of movie.

Bonus Features:

• Into the Darkness Featurette – Open the door into the dark world of The Boogeyman as the cast and crew share how the terrifying tale, based on Stephen King's classic short story, was crafted.
• Outtakes – It’s not all just jump scares and bumps in the night. Join the cast for some lighthearted fun in the outtakes.

Conclusion:

The Boogeyman is a solid popcorn, jump scare monster movie. The solid video transfer and audio track really stand out here. A couple of short bonus features round out this release that will be a fun popcorn watch or a welcome addition to your library as a Stephen King fan.

The Boogeyman is now available on digital and on Blu-Ray and DVD October 10th.

*The movie was sent to by Walt Disney Home Entertainment for the sole purpose of review and the review is entirely my own opinion*

4K Digital Review: Barbarian

 

Director Zach Cregger has pieced together a fantastic horror film with Barbarian. The cast is wonderful here with Georgina Campbell as Tess, Justin Long as AJ and Bill Skarsgard as Keith. The basic premise is that Tess arrives at her Airbnb in Detroit only to find that there is already another renter there named Keith. 

The tension between the two strangers who do not trust each other is perfect. You will be on the edge of your seat until the film takes another turn when the Airbnb owner AJ shows up. Campbell is fantastic here playing someone who has to overcome their terror of confronting their own fears and be brave enough to survive. Skarsgard is great as well but Long really shines. He is a perfect blend of a villain who is also pretty funny and dumb all at the same time.  Surround this with some over-the-top scenes and some dark comedy and you have a horror film unlike any other and is a welcome change to the genre. 

Video:

The video is a really great 2160p UHD 4K transfer on streaming platforms. The dark basement areas are inky black and the Airbnb is warm with rich orange and browns. Later on in the film, we see the landscapes and buildings in beautiful primary colors. One flashback to the 1950s brings the pastels of the homes to life. Other details such as close-ups of physical makeup effects, gore and blood are vivid. Skin, clothing textures and environmental details are amazing.  

Audio:

The digital release comes with a digital 5.1 audio mix. Dialogue is crisp and easy to follow. Environmental sounds such as rain and thunder are low in the background with a low rumble with the bass. Sounds such as gunshots, car engines, frightened breathing and people screaming all sound fantastic. The surround channels bring the creaking sounds of the house to life. 

Bonus Features:

Featurette 

• Behind Barbarian - Director Zach Cregger and the cast and crew discuss both the unique and familiar horror elements that make Barbarian terrifying and reveal the inspiration behind the horrific tale. 

 

Deleted Scenes 

• Bonnie 
• Doug Extended
• Tess Calls Marcus
• The Rat

Conclusion:

Barbarian is a welcomed addition to the horror movie genre. It is a solid movie with wonderful characters, a story that it all too real, some wonderful laughs and really great scares. The video and audio are great but I wish there were more bonus features such as an audio commentary. But I recommend it solely for the film itself. 

Barbarian is out on all major digital platforms already. 

*A review copy of the film was provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment for the sole purpose of review and the review is strictly my own opinion.*