READY OR NOT (R)
Released by Fox Searchlight
Review by Adam Mast
First of all, know going in that suspension of disbelief is required for maximum enjoyment of the much-buzzed-about slice of satirical horror that is READY OR NOT. You’re either in with the overall concept or you’re not and by and large, I don’t think I was all in. This isn’t to say READY OR NOT is without its entertainment value, but the parts are certainly stronger than the whole.
In READY OR NOT, lovely and lively Grace (Samara Weaving) is preparing to marry into a life of wealth after accepting Alex Le Domas’s hand in marriage. That said, her reason for saying “yes” to Alex (Mark O’Brien) has nothing to do with obscene amounts of money and everything to do with her genuine love for the man. Of course, Grace comes from a much less lavish lifestyle than her soon-to-be-in-laws and this doesn’t at all set well with the Le Domas family, a group of eccentric characters who inherited the majority of their wealth from rich ancestors and an incredibly profitable game company.
The plot is set into motion when Grace is invited to the Le Domas mansion for a big wedding weekend where she meets many of the family members for the very first time. What Grace doesn’t know is that this is a family of deep tradition and one of those traditions finds any new member of the Le Domas clan taking part in a randomly selected game at the stroke of midnight the evening wedding vows are taken. Ultimately, Grace is saddled with a game of hide and seek. Initially, she finds the concept odd, but another part of her finds the idea of it kind of adorable. What Grace doesn’t initially realize, however, are the deadly stakes involved in this particular game of hide and seek. And once she discovers what those stakes are, the game is afoot.
At the surface, READY OR NOT sort of plays like a fusion of CLUE (a comical tale of murder in a mansion) and YOU’RE NEXT (a final girl attempts to turn the tables on her smarmy tormentors) with a dash of GET OUT (horror laced with social commentary) and HEREDITARY (extreme family dysfunction) thrown in for good measure. The primary theme at the heart of this movie is pretty on the nose. There’s nothing particularly subtle about it. But then, this is a satire. Yes, there’s certainly a horror element to this picture, but READY OR NOT is definitely more interested in playing up the comical angle. To that degree, it doesn’t always work. The overall theme is present throughout but a lot of the jokes in the picture feel somewhat labored and a handful of them falls oddly flat. Included; A stale running gag involving the untimely misfortunes of the Le Domas estate maids. We’ve seen dark comedies and satirical horror films take on the social class divide issue to stronger effect in movies like the cult gem EATING RAOUL, Wes Craven‘s THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS, and more recently in hits like GET OUT.
As for the horror element, there’s a lot of potential here. A massive, dark, and luxurious central locale filled with labyrinthian hallways and plenty of nooks and crannies for our heroine to hide out in. A lot of that potential is squandered though as READY OR NOT is surprisingly light in the thrills and tension department. There are plenty of scenes of Grace running and hiding from her potential tormentors and the film as a whole has a pretty tight run time (it’s only 95 minutes), but the movie isn’t nearly as scary or as tense as I hoped it might be. Furthermore, it isn’t quite as clever as it thinks it is either.
READY OR NOT was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (part of a storytelling collective known as Radio Silence) from a screenplay by Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy and as previously stated, it requires that you buy into the hide and seek concept. It also asks that you accept that every member of the Le Domas family (and anyone associated with this clan) is either severely flawed, conflicted, weak, or a straight-up asshole. But then, as overly simplified and uncomplicated as the satirical angle in this movie is, that’s sort of the point.
READY OR NOT also deals with themes of commitment, loyalty, family, and the perils and pitfalls that come with relationships, but at its heart, this is really a story about the rich preying on the weak, and given the divide going on in the real world right now, it’s unquestionably a hot topic, especially on social media. That said, a little more character development might have made all the difference here.
Where Team READY OR NOT really gets it right is in the casting! From a sleazy Henry Czerny (you may remember his effective turns in 90s thriller staples like CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE), to a fake Andie MacDowell (SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPES), to a numb Adam Brody (IN THE LAND OF WOMEN), to a creepy Nicky Guadagni (THE HANDMAID’S TALE), to a seemingly sweet-natured Mark O’Brien (BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE), all appear to be having a fun time with their own take on a life of privilege. As much fun as the supporting cast are having, it’s Samara Weaving who shines brightest as a final girl-type out to prove that she ain’t about to take anyone’s shit! Especially not from her smarmy in-laws. Much has been made about Weaving’s eerie resemblance to Margot Robbie but make no mistakes. She’s very much her own person. She’s a lot of fun in this picture and wisely plays the proceedings straight. She’s strong, funny, and bursting at the seams with energy and quite frankly, the film is worth watching based on the merits of her likability alone.
Ultimately, READY OR NOT is a mixed bag but in addition to a fun supporting cast, and a charismatic Weaving, the film does offer up moments. Especially in the final act. I sort of figured out where the movie was headed but once READY OR NOT arrives at its over-the-top, blood-soaked finale, I was moderately amused. I just wish the film offered up more tension, heartier laughs, and bigger surprises along the way.
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