Contains spoilers for “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come”
Throughout the majority of 2019’s “Ready or Not,” viewers wonder if Mr. Le Bail is real or not. At the end of the film, it’s confirmed that yes, he is — thanks to a brief blink-and-you-miss it cameo courtesy of the film’s producer James Vanderbilt — and his explosive curses do come true. The ending of “Ready or Not” also leaves no doubt that Le Bail is a malevolent entity, but is he the demon supreme? There’s no definitive answer provided here, but the “Hail, Satan” chant from the Le Domas family might indicate so.
In “Ready or Not,” Le Bail is mentioned as someone who cut a Faustian bargain with Victor Le Domas. In exchange for wealth and everything that Le Domas’ heart desired, he and his family are forced to play a dangerous game whenever someone joins the clan. That’s why Grace (Samara Weaving) finds herself in quite the pickle here.
“Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” establishes that Le Bail’s influence spreads to the wealthiest and most powerful families in the world. All of them worship him and do his bidding, such as playing these wicked games, because no one wants to make Le Bail mad. In return, he gives them power beyond their wildest dreams — and the person who sits on the High Seat of the Council controls the entire world.
Ready or Not’s Le Bail is an anagram for Belial
Everyone loves a good mystery, but there’s none when it comes to the origin of Mr. Le Bail’s name in the “Ready or Not” movies. A few smart folks picked up that it’s an anagram for Belial, which is another name for Satan or the Devil in the Old Testament. The actual meaning of the word signifies wicked or amoral behavior.
In Christian theology, the Devil takes the form of a serpent and tempts Adam and Eve, which results in them eating the forbidden fruit and being booted out of the Garden of Eden. The portrayal of the Devil as the great deceiver is something that has followed in literature and other adaptations, as he symbolizes the ultimate temptation for humanity and leads them away from the light.
Unsurprisingly, Le Bail is portrayed in a similar way in “Ready or Not.” He offers great riches and unfathomable power to all those who desire it, but there’s a price to pay in the end: it costs them their soul and morality. The elite don’t seem to mind that much, but Grace — one of the best final girls in horror movie history — continues to reject Le Bail’s offer.