(L to R) Samara Weaving and Jason Segel in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
(L to R) Jason Segel and Samara Weaving in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
Marriages where the passion has long cooled have been a fertile source for bloody comedies in the past, including ‘The War of the Roses’ (remade recently as ‘The Roses’) into that genre steps ‘Over Your Dead Body’, which boasts the comic stylings of Jason Segel and the comedy/action chops of Samara Weaving. But does it deliver?
Script and Direction
‘Over Your Dead Body’ director Jorma Taccone.
Adapted from the Norwegian film ‘The Trip’ (which was co-written and directed by Tommy Wirkola), the new movie features a script from Nick Kocher (‘Pizza Movie’) and Brian McElhaney (‘Plus One’) that sets up the bad romance between Segel and Weaving’s characters before throwing all manner of comically violent twists in. It doesn’t always work, but when it hits, it hits hard.
Jorma Taccone, the Lonely Island co-founder, shows a knack for staging violent set pieces here, and keeps the movie feeling fun.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Juliette Lewis, Samara Weaving, and Timothy Olyphant in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
Segel and Weaving are excellent as the central pair, but kudos also to Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis and Keith Jardine, who all give committed, loopy performances.
Final Thoughts
Timothy Olyphant in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
If you watch one action comedy this year where Samara Weaving regrets her choices and fights for her life, make it ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’. But if you’ve room for two, then ‘Over Your Dead Body’ has plenty to offer.
‘Over Your Dead Body’ receives 69 out of 100.
(L to R) Jason Segel and Samara Weaving in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
What is the plot of ‘Over Your Dead Body’?
A couple (Jason Segel and Samara Weaving) tries to reconnect while on vacation, only to find out they have plans to kill each other.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Jorma Taccone about his work on ‘Over Your Dead Body’, remaking ‘The Trip’, shooting the action sequences, the music, and putting together the exceptional cast.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
(L to R) Jason Segel and Samara Weaving in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the challenges of remaking ‘The Trip’?
Jorma Taccone: Well, this is based on a Norwegian movie called ‘The Trip’, originally called ‘In Bad Days’ by Tommy Wirkola, and it’s a very funny movie. Tommy did movies like ‘Violent Night’. I was really a big fan of all his stuff. He’s more of an action-comedy guy. I’m more of a comedy-action guy. So, there’s a Venn diagram there. The original movie is very dark. It’s angry but it’s very funny too. I was very interested in, one, what a different cast would bring to it. There are some pretty big changes that have happened with our bad guys. When I read the original script, I was really impressed that Nick (Kocher) and Brian (McElhaney), who are very funny writers, had captured the tone that I really wanted to present, which is the characters being a bit more redeemable and really trying to earn the ending of the movie. It’s a series of tricks that this movie is doing of threading all these different needles. It’s like three movies in one. It’s this suspense/thriller, into almost a home invasion, into an action movie and it just ramps. So, it was pushing the comedy, which is obviously my heart, not wanting to break anything and having the reality of the world. But really doing all those tones, having all these twists and turns, and having the comedy stitch it all together in this way that felt like such an awesome challenge. Showing different shades of things that maybe people don’t expect from me.
(L to R) Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, and Keith Jardine in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
MF: Can you talk about your approach to filming the action sequences?
JT: I mean, there’s a lot of cool set pieces in this movie. With the days that you have and the time that you have, it’s always challenging to get. A half a page of action lines can take a full day to shoot. So, it’s always like that. There’s a whole action set piece that goes all around the front yard and there’s brutal stuff that happens. There are maybe ten different gags that happen that are just really over the top violent and it’s so fun. It’s also funny and disturbing. So, that was a fun one to block and choreograph with 87North Productions, who are known for ‘Bullet Train’, ‘Atomic Blonde’, ‘John Wick’. So, I had the best stunt team on the planet. Then I’m also weaving all my dumb comedy into it as well. So, it was those moments that you’re just like, “This is so fun to have so many different things going on in one scene.”
Samara Weaving in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
MF: Can you talk about the music you used in the film?
JT: I’m obsessed with audio. There’s all these EDM songs that are in the movie that I got Karen Gillan to do. So, she did this song, and Samara Weaving does a song. But if there is chaos, there’s even more chaos with audio and there’s this crazy song happening. So, it was fun to build all that stuff up.
(L to R) Samara Weaving and Jason Segel in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
MF: Finally, what was it like putting this cast together and working with them on set?
JT: Well, one of the things I’ve been saying, which I think holds very true, is that my wife (director Marielle Heller) was saying that there’s a head of every department and there’s always a head of the acting department. Jason Siegel was absolutely that for me. He was the hub of the wheel that we first got. Then to get Samara who works so well with him, and she’s so funny in this movie. She’s playing an Australian too, which was great for her improv to just be able to go toe to toe with Jason. There’s so much fun between them. But then Timothy Olyphant, who was difficult to convince, but I did it. Then him and Juliette are so funny. Then, Keith Jardine, who is mostly known for MMA fighting, but he’s been in a ton of stuff. He’s the sweetest man on the planet and he’s so funny in this. Then, Paul Guilfoyle, who’s unbelievable as this dad character. So, I got incredibly lucky. But Jason was the start of that, of the ball rolling towards this incredible cast.
Editorial Note: Tessa Smith conducted the interview and contributed to this article.
Timothy Olyphant in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
What is the plot of ‘Over Your Dead Body’?
A couple (Jason Segel and Samara Weaving) tries to reconnect while on vacation, only to find out they have plans to kill each other.
‘Ready or Not’ was a breath of fresh air when it came out in 2019: directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (‘Scream’ and ‘Scream VI’), screenwriters Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, and star Samara Weaving delivered a smart, subversive, often wickedly funny and unapologetically gory horror comedy that poked fun at wealth and marriage.
‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ reunites the same team and adds some more ingredients, including a new cast and an expanded in-movie mythology, occasionally yielding the same results. The movie is fun, although it takes a long time to get going and a lot of what worked the first time already seems familiar now.
The new film literally opens as the first one ends, with a bloodied Grace Le Domas (Weaving) stumbling out of her in-laws’ burning estate, having survived a brutal game on her wedding day in which her new family must sacrifice her to a demon or face ruination and death. Grace (who immediately starts using her maiden name of MacCaullay again) is whisked to the hospital, where she’s met by her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), who was called as her emergency contact.
Before the siblings can barely start airing grievances, however, they’re attacked (in a too-brief appearance from Kevin Durand); it turns out that the Le Domas family were part of a council of wealthy, powerful families who secretly rule the world thanks to their worship of Satan, and now that one of the families has been wiped out, the others have one night to kill Grace lest the same misfortune befall them. This time, however, Faith is caught up in the hunt, and the two sisters must face a violent onslaught by not one but four families, including the all-powerful Danforth clan.
‘Ready or Not 2’ gets off to a creaky start: the entire first act is almost all exposition, as first Grace explains the plot of the first film to Faith, and then a smug, subtly amused Elijah Wood – as the council’s unnamed lawyer – lays down the complicated rules of the new game once Grace and Faith are captured (those rules, by the way, are bent or disregarded more than once as we go along). All that throat-clearing takes a long time and slows the pace to a crawl, only punctuated by the first attack on the sisters in the hospital.
Once the game’s afoot, the action picks up again and the first kill (death by industrial washing machine) is morbidly hilarious, thanks to Weaving and Newton’s reactions. Most of the would-be killers this time are barely sketched in as characters – save for the sinister brother-sister act of the Danforths, played by Shawn Hatosy (‘The Pitt’) and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ icon Sarah Michelle Gellar – which is a bit of a letdown from the first film: the dynamic there, as the Le Domas clan picked at each other while hunting Grace, offered a scathing critique of family that is missing from the new story.
In one funny/not funny early sequence, the Danforth patriarch, played by legendary director David Cronenberg, picks up a bedside phone and mutters ‘Approve the ceasefire,’ while watching footage of a war zone on his TV. No sooner does he hang up then a ‘Breaking News’ banner announces the ceasefire. The idea that a small coterie of very rich, well-connected oligarchs runs the world – a sort of cross between the Illuminati and the High Table of the ‘John Wick’ films – is a prescient and all too timely one, but ‘Ready or Not 2’ more or less pays it lip service and moves on.
The film really shines brightest and comes fully alive when the MacCaullay sisters fight, claw, shoot, and kick their way through the vast new labyrinth of a Danforth-owned resort, although it begins to feel repetitive down the stretch. A more acidic layer of social critique is largely absent this time amidst all the hardcore violence and gore. Two movies in, ‘Ready or Not’ is still entertaining but has lost that fresh feeling.
Although their relationship follows a shopworn narrative arc (the sisters greet each other coldly, fight, make up, fight, make up again, become besties), Weaving and Newton (‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’) make a great team and their interactions do keep ‘Ready or Not 2’ appealing. Weaving’s huge eyes and expressive features only emphasize her star presence, while Newton has undeniable charisma with a jaded undercurrent. Their chemistry makes the siblings’ relationship organic and well-earned.
Gellar and Hatosy make a solid brother-sister act as well, the former working a few extra layers into her character and the latter proving effective as a truly vicious, misogynistic psychopath (with all the money and power in the world at his fingertips). It’s great to see Cronenberg in his extended cameo, and the best of the supporting cast is the ever-efficient lawyer played by Elijah Wood, who’s clearly having himself a grand old time and wants to share it with us.
Directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have their strengths, including an eye for detail and a dark sense of humor, as well as their weaknesses, such as a tendency to edit their fight scenes a little too choppily. Their use of already tired tropes (such as scoring a violent confrontation with an incongruous pop ballad) is matched by their ability to concoct macabre but highly funny set pieces and some outrageous moments of gore.
But while ‘Ready or Not 2’ is moderately entertaining (especially in its second half), this sequel doesn’t sizzle like its predecessor despite doubling down on its protagonists, its world-building, and its undeniably hateful (and rich) villains. If the box office gross leads to a third film, the rules of the game may have to be changed before we’re ready (or not) to return.
‘Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come’ receives a score of 70 out of 100.
What is the plot of ‘Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come’?
After surviving a brutal ‘game’ that resulted in the deaths of her husband and in-laws, Grace MacCaullay learns that the wealthiest and most influential families on Earth have to kill her in a new game or risk losing their power and fortunes. Grace refuses to participate at first – until her younger sister, Faith, is also marked for death.
Who is in the cast of ‘Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come’?
(L to R) Kathryn Newton, Samara Weaving, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah Wood star in ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Elijah Wood about their work on ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’, Weaving’s return to her character, what it was like for the other actors to join the franchise, the new characters, working with the directors, and what fans of the first movie can expect from the sequel.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Weaving, Newton, Gellar, and Wood, as well as directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
Moviefone: To begin with, Sarah Michelle, what would you say to fans sitting down right now in a movie theater to watch this sequel to prepare them for the theatrical experience they are about to have?
Sarah Michelle Gellar: I think that if you love the first one, you’re guaranteed to love the second. But I think the most important thing is to consider that, as popular as the first movie was, they did not rush out a sequel. Radio Silence waited until they knew they had the story and the cast. They really did it right. I think what we do in this one is we really honor the legacy of the first one and just continue that. I would say unhinged is a good word. There’s no setup in this one. You are in it.
MF: Elijah, what would you say to get people excited for this sequel?
Elijah Wood: I mean, get ready for a ride. Like the first film, when that game of Hide and Seek begins, it’s a ride until the end of the film and this movie is no different. The stakes are bigger. It does not let up once it starts. The thing is, it literally starts seconds after the first movie ends. You’re kind of off to the races very quickly.
MF: Samara, is there anything you would like to add to that?
Samara Weaving: Just buckle up. Get ready. It’s going to get weird.
MF: Kathryn, what would you say to prepare fans of the original for this sequel?
Kathryn Newton: I would say have fun and scream. It would be so cool if people walked out of this and saw it again and had something to say every time there was a kill, like a ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ situation. Can we come up with some kind of drinking game or something?
MF: Samara, what was it like for you to return to this franchise and play this character again?
SW: It was a dream. I really didn’t think that I would be able to after the first one because it was such a weird movie and we didn’t know if people would like it or not, because we had such a great time making it. So, the fact that I got to do it again was just the best.
MF: What was it like having Kathryn as a partner this time around?
SW: Oh, so annoying. No, it was so great, because I would get a bit bored on the first one because it would just be me running around like a lunatic. So, it was great, I had a friend on set with this one.
MF: Kathryn, were you a fan of the first film and what has it been like for you to join this series?
KN: I was. I was really honored to be a part of it, and wanted to make the growing fan base, the cult fan base even happier, and hopefully they love it. Just to work with Matt and Tyler again was a dream. They’re the best.
MF: Sarah Michelle, were you a fan of the first movie and what was it like for you to join the series and take on this role?
SMG: I had seen the original. I was a big fan. I got a call one day, and they said, “Have you ever seen ‘Ready or Not’?” I said, “Yeah, of course.” They said, “Well, they’re making a sequel.” I first thought, “Really? It’s been five or six years, and they usually rush them out.” I read it, and I absolutely loved it. Just from reading it on the page, you see it. I said, “I want to meet the boys immediately.” I met the guys on a Zoom the next day, and I think I said yes about a minute into the meeting. I think that’s about how long it took.
MF: Elijah, your character is very mysterious, and we don’t learn a lot about him during the movie. Did you create a backstory for yourself to understand where he comes from and his role in this world?
EW: No, but I certainly thought about it. Matt, Tyler, and I would talk about who this guy is, and where he’s come from. Is he immortal? Has he been around for centuries? Has he been doing this for a long time? Things like that that certainly kind of were in the fabric of what I was thinking for the character. Then my task was to deliver those rules in as interesting a way as I could.
MF: Kathryn, how would you describe the sibling relationship between Grace and Faith and where it stands when the movie starts?
KN: They’re on the rocks. They’ve got things to talk about and they’re not talking, they’re running. There’s no time to be talking. I keep trying to talk and it’s just causing issues. She’s like, “Stop it,” and I’m like, “No.” It’s a little bit of that. There’s a bit of drama, some life and death situations, and we still talk about boys.
MF: Elijah, can you talk about collaborating with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett on set?
EW: I mean, these guys are so lovely. They are such film fans, such fans of the creation of cinema, and have such enthusiasm that really extends to everybody on set, the cast included, and it is sort of an infectious feeling of we’re all in this thing creating together. It’s very collaborative. I love those guys. They’re lovely and it makes it fun. Listen, they’re very articulate as well, and very clear about what it is that they want. They barely looked stressed.
MF: Sarah Michelle, what was your experience like working with Matt and Tyler?
SMG: They treated everyone with the same dignity from number one on the call sheet to every PA that was on the show. I think that it just makes for a really great experience. I mean, I don’t know how to describe it any better than that. There’s no guessing with them. They can always tell you what they want. You don’t have to drag it out of them. But more than anything, I would say that this was a hard shoot. We had very few days. It was a lot of nights. The weather was not cooperative. They never raised their voice, not once in the entire shoot, and that says a lot. Occasionally, at the end of the night, you could see them pacing, trying to figure out what shots they had to cut, but it was more their creative thought process.
MF: Samara, what was it like for you to work with Matt and Tyler again?
SM: They’re the greatest. They’ve become close friends of mine, so it was just any excuse to hang out with them. I’d take a bullet for them. They’re the best.
MF: Finally, Kathryn, you worked with Matt and Tyler on ‘Abigail’, but what do you love about working with them as filmmakers?
KN: I think Matt and Tyler are the best audience. They love what they do, and I think they don’t ask much of you. Then when you give them something, they really see it and they really elevate it. I felt like on this movie, they really protected my performance because I did a lot of weird things that I didn’t know would work. Then the other thing they do, Matt specifically, I think because it was the second movie together, he knew things I was capable of that I didn’t. It was important to get the horror and the stakes of the movie. He had to make sure I was doing enough. He had to make sure I was being scared enough, or whatever it called for. So, he elevated my performance, and then they kept it together in the edit.
What is the plot of ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’?
Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving), the sole survivor of a brutal “game” that resulted in the deaths of her husband and in-laws, learns that her victory comes with a price. Now, the wealthiest and most influential families on Earth must kill her in a new game – or risk losing their power and fortunes. Grace refuses to participate at first but is left with no choice when she learns that her younger sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), has also been marked for death and must protect her at all costs.
Who is in the cast of ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’?
The first images from ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ are online.
Samara Weaving returns, with Kathryn Newton playing her estranged sister.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are once again in the director’s chair.
When the first sequel to magician heist movie ‘Now You See Me’ came out, there was widespread dismay that it wasn’t called ‘Now You See Me, Now You Don’t.’ While this year’s threequel has finally employed that title, the filmmakers behind 2019’s horror comedy thriller ‘Ready or Not’ are not wasting their own opportunity for a title pun.
Returning from the original (since, er, she was pretty much the only one to survive), is Samara Weaving’s Grace, still fighting for her life (see more on the story below).
The original movie followed a young bride (Weaving’s Grace) as she joined her new husband’s (Mark O’Brien) rich, eccentric family (which included Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell) in a time-honored tradition that turned into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their survival.
Writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy returned to craft the chaos, and we have an official synopsis: Moments after surviving an all-out attack from the Le Domas family, Grace discovers she’s reached the next level of the nightmarish game –– and this time with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) at her side.
Grace has one chance to survive, keep her sister alive, and claim the High Seat of the Council that controls the world. Four rival families are hunting her for the throne, and whoever wins rules it all.
Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are clearly happy to be back at it:
“We’re thrilled to be returning to the world of ‘Ready or Not’ with Samara, Brett, Avery and Andrew and so excited to work with this immensely talented cast and the incredible artists across every department joining the ‘Ready or Not’ family.”
When will ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ be in theaters?
(Left) Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television. (Right) Elijah Wood in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
Preview:
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah Wood have boarded the ‘Ready or Not’ sequel.
Samara Weaving is returning to star.
The movie is about to start shooting.
The cameras are about to roll on the follow-up to 2019 horror hit ‘Ready or Not,’ which means that directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett –– part of the filmmaking collective known as Radio Silence alongside producers Justin Martinez and Chad Villella –– are getting ready to unleash the chaos of games-turned-deadly once again.
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Following the success of the original –– $6 million budget with more than $57 million at the box office worldwide, the sequel, which we now know is rather wonderfully titled ‘Ready or Not: Here I Come,’ is adding some cast members to join the established Samara Weaving (who will reprise the role of Grace from the original) and more recent addition Kathryn Newton.
They’re not the only fresh faces signing up to work on the new movie: Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, Kevin Durand (who, like Newton, worked with the directors on vampire romp ‘Abigail’) and directing legend/occasional actor David Cronenberg are rounding out the cast.
The cast of ‘Ready or Not’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The original movie followed a young bride (Weaving’s Grace) as she joined her new husband’s (Mark O’Brien) rich, eccentric family (which included Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell) in a time-honored tradition that turned into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their survival.
Spoiler alert in case you didn’t see the film: Weaving’s character was just about the only person to make it out of the game alive.
Which means it’s hard to predict what will happen in the follow-up. Could there be previously unseen family members who come out of the woodwork to threaten Grace? Will she find herself in a different but equally dangerous weird life-threatening situation?
We can only guess at this point, but with writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy returning to craft the chaos, it’ll surely be just as lethal.
‘Ready or Not: Here I Come’: The filmmakers speak
Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, left, and Director Tyler Gillett on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are clearly happy to be back at it:
“We’re thrilled to be returning to the world of ‘Ready or Not’ with Samara, Brett, Avery and Andrew and so excited to work with this immensely talented cast and the incredible artists across every department joining the ‘Ready or Not’ family.”
And here’s what Searchlight Pictures president Matthew Greenfield had to say:
“We’re beyond excited to make another film with the phenomenal Radio Silence. With ‘Ready or Not: Here I Come,’ we get to go on another ride with the amazing Samara Weaving, mix in awesome new voices and bring audiences a fresh take that’s every bit as twisted and fun as the first one. This is for those who’ve been waiting, and those who didn’t see it coming.”
Where else have we seen Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah wood?
(L to R) Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ryan Phillippe in ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is no stranger to the world of sci-fi and fantasy, particularly on the small screen. She’s still best known for playing Buffy Summers, the main character of much-loved series ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ and is an executive producer on the rebooted version of the show that is now in development.
But far and away on his resume in terms of impact is his work on Peter Jackson’s three giant ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies, in which he played Frodo Baggins.
Since then, he’s also become something of a producer, helping filmmakers get their work on screens.
When will ‘Ready or Not: Here I Come’ be in theaters?
Backers Searchlight Pictures haven’t yet announced when the sequel will be causing chaos on screens, but with production gearing up, a 2026 release surely isn’t out of the question.
Elijah Wood in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
Samara Weaving in ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
‘Borderline’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
Opening in theaters and on digital on March 14th, ‘Borderline’ represents the latest movie to blend comedy and violent chaos, all drawn from the keyboard of writer Jimmy Warden, who last brought us the loosely-based-on-truth madness that was ‘Cocaine Bear.’
In this case, he’s behind the camera, making his directorial debut with this story of a 1990s pop star whose home is invaded by her self-proclaimed biggest fan –– a stalker with borderline personality disorder who just wants her to love him. She, meanwhile, just wants to survive their latest encounter.
Ray Nicholson in ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
While Warden’s comedy chops were on full display in ‘Cocaine Bear,’ that film had Elizabeth Banks calling the shots, where ‘Borderline’ is full spectrum Warden, delivered by the writer himself.
And that unfettered pipeline from page to screen means that his brand of chaos is on full display, for both good and ill. For while it’s certainly packing some laughs (and even manages to find nuance in several characters), it can’t always keep things on track.
Script and Direction
Jimmy Warden, writer and director of ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
Warden’s style has been honed in the last few years working on the likes of the ‘Babysitter’ movies for Netflix and having spent time in the trenches with such talents as Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (he was a production assistant on ‘21 Jump Street’), ‘No One Will Save You’ filmmaker Brian Duffield, who helped get both ‘Cocaine Bear’ and ‘Borderline’ to screens and Margot Robbie, who clearly saw enough in the script to produce via her LuckyChap company.
Let loose, Warden here has cooked up the 1990s-set tale of Paul Duerson (Ray Nicholson), who has been living under the delusion that he’s in a relationship with pop star Sofia (Samara Weaving). We meet Paul, dressed in what he thinks is his best, when he’s making his latest attempt to get access to Sofia’s mansion.
That ends in a bloodbath when he stabs her loyal bodyguard Bell (Eric Dane), but calls both the police and an ambulance, eventually ending up in a mental health institution (while Bell heads to the hospital).
Fast-forward several months and Bell is recovering while Sofia dates emotional basketball player Rhodes (Jimmy Fails), only for a planned night to be rudely interrupted by a freshly-escaped Paul, who has cooked up his grandest scheme yet. With the help of the hulking J.H. and the equally unhinged Penny (Alba Baptista), Paul plan to kidnap Sofia and marry her.
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Warden has clearly thought through all that can go wrong with this schemes, setting things up well and roping in Bell’s family to add to the complications.
Yet tone is sometimes an issue here, the lunatic stalker comedy occasionally grinding up against an attempt to say more about the pressures of fame and the deeper issues that Sofia herself has (she’s not always the easiest person to deal with either).
And as the movie barrels towards its conclusion (which we won’t spoil), there are moments that aim to blend comedy and violence, but don’t completely work, souring the entertainment value.
Still, Warden shows some promise as a director to go with the skills he has as a writer. There’s nothing too diverting about his framing or filming choices, mostly letting the camera help tell the story. He also has a keen ear for some fun and appropriate ‘90s needle drops.
Cast and Performances
Ray Nicholson in ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
A big part of why ‘Borderline’ works at all is the committed performances from its leads.
Nicholson, who was last seen sporting a terrifying grin as the heroine’s late boyfriend in ‘Smile 2,’ is here throwing himself into the role of slightly greasy, very desperate but ultimately relatable weirdo Paul.
With his stringy moustache and his cringe-worthy fashion choices, he makes for an off-kilter yet compelling stalker figure, a man with clear issues and one whose life is mostly lived in his head.
Samara Weaving in ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
As Sofia, Weaving brings the right level of spoiled starlet and kooky humanity to the role, and is also –– thanks to her experiences in the likes of ‘Ready or Not’ and ‘Scream VI’ attempt at going the scream queen route when needed, and fighting back at other times.
Eric Dane is handed a solid role as loyal bodyguard Bell; a man weary of having to deal with the likes of Paul but committed to keeping his charge safe with sensitive tough guy grace. This also sees Dane willing to throw himself into the comedy side of things, even while he’s mostly the straight man as the madness unfolds around him.
Elsewhere, Patrick Cox has fun as the giant J.H., someone for whom violence comes easy, but never without regret, and Baptista keeps Penny at just the right level of weird. Fails, meanwhile, steals some scenes as the easily offended sportsman Rhodes.
Final Thoughts
A scene from ‘Borderline’, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
‘Borderline’ will appeal to those who appreciated the comic stylings of ‘Cocaine Bear’ and shows some progress for Warden. If it can’t quite stick the landing, it at least has some fun along the way.
What is the plot of ‘Borderline’?
Set in Los Angeles in the 1990s, a pop star’s (Samara Weaving) home is broken in by an obsessive fan (Ray Nicholson) who delusively believes they are getting married and manipulates their surroundings to create a wedding atmosphere.
Who is in the cast of ‘Borderline’?
Samara Weaving as Sofia
Ray Nicholson as Duerson
Eric Dane as Bell
Alba Baptista as Penny
Jimmie Fails as Rhodes
Theatrical one-sheet for ‘Borderline’, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
Kathryn Newton will be part of the cast for ‘Ready or Not 2.’
Samara Weaving is returning to star.
Newton previously worked with the ‘Ready’ directing duo on ‘Abigail.’
As they prepare to make the follow-up to 2019 horror hit ‘Ready or Not’ (following a detour into cranking out a couple of ‘Scream’ entries and last year’s vamp-tastic ‘Abigail’) directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett –– part of the filmmaking collective known as Radio Silence alongside producers Justin Martinez and Chad Villella –– are drawing from the cast of one of their previous outings to appear alongside returning star Samara Weaving.
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In this case, their choice per Deadline is Kathryn Newton, who played Sammy, one of the crooks employed to kidnap a young girl in ‘Abigail,’ unaware that their charge is in, fact, a bloodsucker looking to stalk and snack on them all as her next meal.
Given that this marks a reunion for the directors and two of their previous stars, should ‘Scream’ alumni start clearing their schedule? We’ll have to wait and see on that front.
The cast of ‘Ready or Not’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The original movie followed a young bride (Weaving) as she joined her new husband’s (Mark O’Brien) rich, eccentric family (which included Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell) in a time-honored tradition that turned into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their survival.
Spoiler alert in case you didn’t see the film: Weaving’s Grace was just about the only person to make it out of the game alive.
Which means it’s hard to predict what will happen in the follow-up. Could there be previously unseen family members who come out of the woodwork to threaten Grace? Will she find herself in a different but equally dangerous weird life-threatening situation?
We can only guess at this point, but with writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy returning to craft the chaos, it’ll surely be just as lethal.
Where else have we seen Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton?
Samara Weaving in ‘Ready or Not’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
She’ll next be seen in stalker thriller comedy ‘Borderline’ opposite Ray Nicholson, playing a 1990s pop star who receives some unwanted attention from an obsessed fan. Along with that, she’s also worked on TV series ‘Little Sky’ and action comedy movie ‘Eenie Meanie.’
Coming up is horror thriller movie ‘DeamQuil’ and crime drama ‘Lips Like Sugar.’
And coincidentally, this isn’t the first time the pair will appear in the same movie as Newton was also part of the cast for ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.’
When will ‘Ready or Not 2’ be in theaters?
Searchlight has yet to confirm a release date for the movie, but with filming clearly set for this year, we wouldn’t be surprised if it emerged early in 2026.
Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, left, and Director Tyler Gillett on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
List of Movies Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett:
The filmmakers in particular have been busy, making the leap from the 2019 effort to the two most recent ‘Scream’ installments and this year’s vampire thriller ‘Abigail.’
Now, though, at a screening of ‘Ready or Not’, the directors announced that a sequel is in the works, with Weaving once again starring.
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What was the story of ‘Ready or Not’?
(L to R) Mark O’Brien and Samara Weaving in ‘Ready or Not’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The horror comedy thriller followed a young bride (Weaving) as she joined her new husband’s (Mark O’Brien) rich, eccentric family (Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell) in a time-honored tradition: Pulling a card from a puzzle game.
It seems innocent enough, but if someone draws the Hide and Seek card, as she does, then a murderous game is played, all in order to appease an ancient family deal with the devil. And so begins a fight for survival…
Spoiler alert at this point for anyone who has yet to see the movie: Weaving’s Grace makes it out, while mostly everyone else either ends up dead from a weapon or exploding in a geyser of blood when the curse inherent in the deal is carried out.
The movie, made for only $6 million, grossed over $28 million domestically and was the widest release for Searchlight at the time.
What has been happening with a ‘Ready or Not’ sequel?
Samara Weaving in ‘Ready or Not’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
All involved have said they want to come back for more, but it’s been a question of timing: the directors have been off doing their other movies, while Weaving has been in demand for the likes of ‘Chevalier,’ ‘Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins,’ ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ and ‘Babylon‘.
She also found time to squeeze in a cameo as –– again, spoiler alert –– the initial victim in last year’s ‘Scream VI.’
“I’m all in. I think we’re all in, I don’t know. I think we’re all in…I don’t know if we’ve had our blood handshake, but pretty much. We’ve done the spit handshake, but we haven’t cut each other’s hands and rubbed our blood together.”
Looks like that has now happened –– or, you know, they’ve just made deals in the regular way.
As to what will happen in the movie itself, that’s anyone’s guess at this point. Given Weaving’s return, a prequel about the family appears unlikely, more her Grace getting into another tricky and potentially bloody situation.
Though it would seem to have wrapped up its story –– especially since it is based on a novel –– with its first season, Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ is preparing a second.
It would seem that the streaming service is ready to go the ‘White Lotus’ route and turn the concept into an anthology, with star Nicole Kidman the sole name (so far) from Season 1 set to return.
What was the story of ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ first season?
(L to R) Luke Evans, Melvin Gregg, Michael Shannon, Manny Jacinto, and Bobby Cannavale star in Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers.’ Photo: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.
Debuting in September 2021 as Hulu’s most-watched Hulu original ever — drama, comedy, limited series or unscripted –– the show saw nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living with a 10-day star at a boutique California wellness resort run by director Masha (Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine “perfect” strangers have no idea what is about to hit them…
It remains to be seen whether the idea can work a second time, since audiences, even those who have not read the book, will know what to expect. Still, viewers embraced the second run of HBO’s ‘Big Little Lies’ adaptation (which also starred Kidman) despite that show’s first season being planned as a limited series.
It’s an increasing phenomenon for companies on the hunt for successful titles that can attract audiences to convert what are originally announced as one-shots into continuing series. HBO in particular has drawn dividends with ‘The White Lotus’ which went from one season made in the midst of the pandemic to an ongoing anthology series that carries over one or two actors each time. That show, created by Mike White, has earned plenty of awards acclaim and seen big viewership.
Moriarty, meanwhile, has become a go-to author for companies looking for source material. Her book ‘Apples Never Fall’ is in development and several others have been optioned.
