Film Review – Ready Or Not
Ready Or Not (MA)
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Starring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Andie MacDowell
Four stars
Review by: Julian Wright
Buckle in for the wildest game of hide and seek you are likely going to witness.
On the day of her wedding, Grace (Samara Weaving) who bumped around between foster homes growing up, is just thrilled to tie the knot to her loving fiance Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien) and finally become part of a real family – even if they are a bit eccentric.
The Le Domas’ clan are filthy rich, having made their wealth generations ago, and have since grown it, in the boardgame industry.
After the ceremony, a Le Domas family tradition is sprung on Grace: a game. The newest member of the family draws a card and they all play – no ifs, buts or exceptions.
But Grace draws the one card that hasn’t been drawn in 30 years: hide and seek. And the sinister rule is that one of the Le Domas’ has to kill her by dawn or they lose their fortune (I won’t spoil why – it’s wild!).
Grace is drawn into a life and death cat and mouse game in which most of the Le Domas’, armed with old school weapons like a crossbow, are hell bent on keeping tradition alive and their bank account healthy.
This cheeky, dark and twisted comedy/horror will appeal to anyone with a wicked sense of humour and a hankering for the occasional splatter of gore. There are clumsy accidental killings, deadpan one-liners, unpredictable revelations. And a young child gets sucker punched! This is a wild ride.
Additionally there is some biting social commentary aimed at the wealthy and how they maintain their riches woven into the tightly written script. This is not simply a gorefest with laughs.
Despite the set-up and violence, Ready Or Not is not a scary film per se, though anyone who was already iffy about in-laws may lose a night’s sleep after this one, but there are moments that will make your squirm, shriek and guffaw with laughter.
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