Ready or Not is a 2019 American horror film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and the cast includes Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Elyse Levesque, Nicky Guadagni, Henry Czerny, and Andie MacDowell.
It's been a few years since I watched Ready or Not, so when I saw it had been released on Netflix, I wanted to give it a second watch to see if I still loved it as much as the first time.
Spoiler: I did.
At the start of Ready or Not, we see Grace, played by the brilliant Samara Weaving, marrying Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien) and becoming part of his wealthy and quite eccentric family, but after the wedding, Grace learns of a bizarre family tradition where the bride or groom must play a game chosen by chance.
When she draws the card though, she draws the one she really did not want, to play a game of hide and seek, and you see straight away the family’s reactions hint that something is about to go down.
Oblivious to the danger though, Grace soon discovers that this is no fun childlike game, but a deadly ritual where her in-laws hunt her down to fulfill a gruesome family tradition.
The tension escalates quickly, with the first shocking kill happening quite early on, setting the tone for the film’s mix of horror, gore, and dark humor.
Samara Weaving delivers an outstanding performance as Grace, and while some of the other characters also really shine in small doses, it's her performance that really elevates the film, taking on most of the screen time in the film with brilliance, and stealing the spotlight completely.
Oh, and she also put in a great performance in Azrael this year, too.
And as said, the supporting cast plays their part well, but in smaller doses as they portray the murderous Le Domas family with flair and personality, with each family member adding unique quirks to the story.
The film is shot pretty much in a single location, and single location films can often fail for obvious reasons, but in Ready or Not the Le Domas estate creates and contributes towards the claustrophobic and intense atmosphere.
While the plot is incredibly simple, it is also incredibly well executed, and it provides just enough backstory to explain the stakes, such as the family’s deal with Mr. Le Bail and a previous game’s fatal outcome, without bogging down the narrative, and shows even simplicity can be brilliant.
And the humor excels too, with it's a creative blend of dark comedy with some gruesome thrills thrown in too, and the film literally made me laugh out loud on more than a few occasions, often with witty dark humored one liners.
I am sure many of you you have watched this film already, and in that case you should re-watch it on Netflix.
It's got a few cool kills, it will make you laugh with some great lines, you WILL stay interested throughout the movie and you can appreciate Samara Weaving's performance all over again.
I can honestly say that I don't dislike much about this film at all even after this second viewing, a few minor things sure, but this review can just spread positivity.
What the fuck is wrong with you, you fucking asshole piece of shit little tiny dick licker fucking asshole fucking die!
Love it.
I would rate this film 85% on my horror movie nerd-o-meter.
And if you did not know, a Ready or Not 2 is happening, so will be interesting to see how that does, because the first will be a very hard act to follow.
What did you think of Ready or Not?