Ready or Not is a 2019 thriller about a young bride named Grace who is forced to play a deadly game of hide-and-seek against her new family.
Wow. Talk about a wedding night gone completely bonkers. Also, a killer game of hide-and-seek on the big screen sounds absolutely ridiculous. But somehow, it totally works! Ready or Not is a really entertaining flick that has fun with its absurd premise. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known for being in a filmmaking group called Radio Silence, they bring lots of excitement and tension to an interesting concept for a movie that you know you’re not supposed to take so seriously. Oh, and there will be blood. Lots of blood.
It stars Samara Weaving in the lead role of Grace, and she’s a young bride who is quite eager to be a part of her husband Alex’s (Mark O’Brien) family. However, they’re a group of rich yet eccentric people that are really dedicated in fulfilling their traditions that have been going on for many years. After the newlyweds have just had their ceremony, Grace is forced to participate in a game night in order for her in-laws to officially accept her as a new member of their family. The game they all decide to play is hide-and seek, but the thing is that they’re not playing a kiddie version of it. It’s basically Grace against Alex’s family in a free-for-all with dangerous weapons and their house in lockdown.
Weaving is great in this movie, and you can tell she has a lot of fun with this crazy premise. Whenever she’s throwing down against her opponents, it’s ridiculously entertaining. Also, she brings some heavy emotions in some scenes, and you really feel for her. While she’s the best part of the entire film, the rest of the cast is functional at times. They don’t really stand out, and it’s kind of a bummer. Some of them even play exaggerated caricatures, and it does take you out of the film sometimes. It’s not that they’re bad actors or anything, it’s just their characters are a little underdeveloped, because they’re only there to go up against Grace in a bloody free-for-all.
As mentioned in the intro of this review, it is a deadly game of hide-and seek, and the result is quite satisfying. They don’t hold anything back on the violence and gore as they really embrace the movie’s R rating. Whenever Grace is trying to hide from her sadistic adversaries that want to kill her, you really do feel the tension. While some of the dialogue is really bad, it is undeniably hysterical at times. The filmmakers are able to make the film both hilarious and suspenseful, and it’s impressive how they manage to do that. From start to finish, it is highly entertaining throughout.
What could have been a really terrible flick turns into one of the most surprising films of the year. The directors elevate an absurd idea for a thriller with lots of exciting, gruesome and hysterical moments throughout. It’s best for you to watch it with a group of friends and make it a fun movie night. Ready or Not is a bloody good time. Literally. Get ready for one of the funniest and violent films of all time.