A Reel Review: READY OR NOT

One of the best sub-genres of horror is the closed-quarters thriller; where a victim, or victims, are trapped in a singular location with nowhere to go, while being pursued by a bloodthirsty villain. This has worked as far back as JAWS (1975), to ALIEN (1979), to SAW (2004), and here in 2019…is given a new angle with READY OR NOT.

Grace (Samara Weaving), marries Alex (Mark O’Brien), who is a member of the Le Domas family, who are super-rich from decades of manufacturing board games. On her wedding night, Grace is asked to take part in an old family tradition of playing a game at midnight…that leads to the entire family trying to kill her. 

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet, READY OR NOT does not have much by way of plot, and spends most of its time following Grace around the large mansion, as she ducks into dumb-waiters, under tables, and behind counters as the family hunts her down with guns, axes, crossbows, and spear-guns. It’s a thrill-ride, as Grace runs for cover, with the added element of the family, who don’t really know what they are doing with the antique weapons they have to use. 

Reasoning is everything in a movie where everyone is out to kill the main character. For the Le Domas family, they sincerely believe that if they don’t kill the bride before sunrise, then they themselves will be destroyed. The real mystery behind the film isn’t why they’re trying to kill Grace, but if in fact the “curse” as they believe it, is true or not. Hints are given here and there throughout the chase, and by the time the bloody finale hits…it all makes perfect sense. It’s a fresh angle on an old tale, and it works. 

The co-directing team of Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet keeps the pacing brisk and the energy high. The film isn’t a scare-fest as much as a bloodbath, and the laughs are perfectly timed. READY OR NOT has feet planted in both comedy and horror, and balances them both well. 

Samara Weaving is terrific in her role and shows her bravery in doing what it takes to get the shot. Weaving is shot, stabbed, splattered with blood, and dropped down a pit with rotting carcasses and she sells every scene in an amazing performance. The rest of the cast handles their parts well, with Andie MacDowell a highlight. 

By the time the film wraps, our Grace has been through some sort of hell, and she emerges a hero that we want to root for. READY OR NOT is a great ride; full of horror and laughs and perfectly executed. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it