Review of Ready or Not (2019) by Davrosdaleks1 — 22 Aug 2019

In this horror comedy, Grace (Samara Weaving), a bride, on her wedding night, unexpectedly finds herself in a ritualistic deadly game of hide-and-seek orchestrated by her rich in-laws. I found this to be a very well-put together movie.

The backbone of the film is the dysfunctional Le Domas family. Each member is distinctive and well acted, and they have varying levels of competence and willingness. The ritual isn't a regular occurrence for them, and they act like regular people more than most horror movies featuring groups of killers. Half the fun is seeing the Le Domases try to figure what to do next as much as the heroine. Speaking of her, Grace is a fine lead. Admittedly, her character doesn't differentiate herself much from other movie heroines, but Weaving is good in the role. You do root for her as things get progressively worse.

The actual backstory of why the ritual is taking place is thought-out and interesting.

The movie blends the humor and the horror. Though the violent moments occur sporadically, they are pretty strong when they happen. I was kept tense by what was happening to Grace and what'll happen next.

The design, sets, and costumes all look great. They have a classic haunted house or murder mystery feel to them.

Be forewarned that although the film is generally amusing, I didn't have any laugh-out-loud moments. It's more about the general feel.

Overall, I found this to be a pretty fun time and recommend it.