Ready or Not

Rating: 4.25/5

Ready or Not is quite the unique horror film that is quirky, gory, and a whole lot of fun.

On the day of her wedding, Grace (Samara Weaving) is more than excited to be marrying the love of her life Alex (Mark O'Brien), but is apprehensive about the family she is going to wed into. Her soon to be husband comes from an incredibly wealthy, pretentious, and odd family dynasty, and they haven't been exactly subtle in their disapproval of their newest family member.

Once the wedding is over, Grace and Alex return to the Le Domas family estate to prepare for their honeymoon. Their night of newlywed bliss is disrupted when Alex's Aunt Helene (Nicky Guadagni) appears in their room telling them they need to be downstairs by midnight to play a game. The playing of a game on the night of a wedding is tradition in the Le Domas family and is their own special way of initiation. Grace finds it odd, but agrees to play, having no idea she's about to get herself into a deadly game of Hide and Seek.

For starters, I feel it is necessary to say that I am particularly picky when it comes to horror-comedy crossovers. I feel that sometimes they can be very distasteful, making a mockery of some pretty gruesome concepts. In the right hands, these types of films can be pure genius, and in the wrong ones, a total disaster. Overall, Ready or Not is able to remain a balanced film, not swaying too far into the direction of ridiculousness. The type of scenes the movie does for laughs is slightly reminiscent of the comedy found in Hot Fuzz. However, unlike Hot Fuzz, Ready or Not approaches the humor and horror in a more acute style, by making the stakes seem far more dire for the main protagonist; thus creating a movie that has the ability to cause more apprehension rather than just straight laughs.

What I really loved about Ready or Not, was its unpredictability and use of music. It's clear from about twenty minutes in that nobody is safe in this savage game of Hide and Seek, and you really never know who will die, or in what absurd and outlandish way they will meet their demise. When it came to the film's climax, I really wasn't sure what the outcome was going to be, because the movie itself was so unusual. I love it when a film constantly keeps you guessing, especially in a movie like this, because it makes you feel like your invested in the plot, rather than just an observer watching the predictable chain of events unfold. As before mentioned, the music in Ready or Not was great. Not only does the movie come with a catchy and slightly unsettling theme song, but the score itself worked beautifully with the scenes as they progressed. Music in films is something I have always taken a strong notice to, and I personally found the instrumentals in Ready or Not to be slightly above par compared to your everyday horror movie. They most certainly added into the concept of making the Le Domas family appear as if they were stuck in a different era, as well as majorly increased the intensity of many of the scenes.

The only true negative that I could say for Ready or Not, is I felt some of the scenes, and a big portion of the events leading to the climax, dragged on a bit too long. At times, it felt like a very bloody and haggard game of cat and mouse that seemed forced to continue until it ran out the clock. I completely understand the necessity of a creating a big build up to a film's major moment, but there may have been too much excessive chasing to make Ready or Not be a true home run. Yes, it is a game of Hide and Seek, but how long can someone attempt to hide before it becomes a tad overzealous?

Any negative comments said about the film aside, Ready or Not is a really entertaining and energy charged movie. It has definite rewatchability, even if the outcome of the game is already know to the viewer. Ready or Not beats to its own drum and is easily one of the best movies to come to the horror genre for 2019.