READY OR NOT

Ready or Not Movie Review

Grace (Samara Weaving) marries Alex (Mark O'Brien), joining a very wealthy family. But before this is made official, she has to play a game. Is it checkers? Backgammon? Chess? No, it's hide-and-seek.

"This sounds fun!"

That seems harmless enough, but you ARE on a blog dedicated to horror films, so you know there's a catch to this game. The Le Domas family have their fortune in part due to a vague pact made generations ago, and when the newest family member draws hide-and-seek as their wedding night game, the game is a deadly one--the family must kill the would-be new family member before sunrise, or the entire Le Domas family dies. This 2019 box office hit blends comedy and horror, but unfortunately, never really finds the right formula to pull it off. With such an absurd premise, one wonders how much better this could have been had they focused more on the comedic element--or made the comedy it does contain funnier. While there is a laugh out loud moment or two, most of the comedy is more along the lines of "look, that old guy just dropped an F-bomb". The acting is fair, with Adam Brody of Gilmore Girls fame standing out as the sympathetic brother-in-law. Weaving will also grow on you as the film progresses.

"Wait...if I kill them all, I inherit the fortune!"

There is quite a bit of blood in this one, so if nothing else, that will keep you going. The ending very much has a 1980's feel to it, and finally brings the level of over-the-top action that should have been present throughout. One could make the argument this movie was influenced by You're Next--I think you could call this a rip-off of that film and be accurate. While Ready or Not is not a bad horror movie, one can't help but wonder how much better it could have been with a bit more originality. 

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 5

Ready or Not Red Band Movie Trailer