Ready or Not

Black comedy horror features have a habit of becoming solid unsung heroes whenever they are released. Taking a horror premise and adding comedic elements to it may risk in losing the luster of its scares, but it's guaranteed to become memorable for some solid main characters, hilarious moments, and insane shenanigans they undergo. My favorites within this genre include Shawn of the Dead, Dead Alive, Get Out, Happy Death Day, The Cabin in the Woods, etc. It's something I can turn to when I need a really need a good laugh and 2019 hasn't been to helpful in that department. This brings us to a new project in that genre, Ready or Not, which has been on my radar for a few months. The marketing campaign intrigued me but made an inexcusable error by showing too much in the trailers (giving away some of their kills and gags, especially in the Red Band trailer). I was hopeful to get some fun excitement out of it to close out the summer season on a good note and left the auditorium ecstatic that it's one of my favorites of 2019 while reminding me on why I enjoy this genre.

What's it about? The story follows a bride marrying into a wealthy family whose wedding night ritual puts her life in danger as her in-laws hunt her down. The exposition surrounding this family history and their tradition is rather fascinating to uncover as perspectives on it shape the experience throughout the night (some taking it more serious than others). Everything is kept simple and mostly predictable in regards to the narrative structure while making sure not to lose the luster in the thrill of the hunt. There's not a whole lot to discuss when it comes to the stories except character dynamics affecting the outcome and the ending, which gets wild to watch. The only weaknesses that are noticeable would be the humor needing some improvement in spots as well as desiring some more screen time with another person whose role in the third act could have used a bit more fleshing out.

How fun and violent is it? The humor actually relies on the squabbling that occurs with the rich family as they hold nothing back in their harsh but hilarious honesty about their contempt for certain members. Some of them have goofy quirks that the actors pull off pretty well along with their ineptitude in handling certain weapons. As for the violence, something to keep in mind is that this is a low budget feature ($6 million) where it appears that the production design of having a gothic mansion probably cost more than the gore on display. With that limitation in mind, the gore of the hunt doesn't why away from the physical suffering the bride undergoes, along with some accidental bystanders along the way. Thankfully the trailers didn't give away the best kills, which are certainly worth the wait.

How's Samara Weaving? As for our main star (who just happens to look like Margot Robbie), she's great in this role as the underdog who goes through this horrible ordeal throughout the night. She strikes a good balance between having a sense of humor in the beginning, terrified for her life, and the determination to survive. I would say she joins the protagonists from Happy Death Day and Get Out in the group of entertaining modern horror characters that are worth rooting for.

How's everyone else? In regards to the rest of the cast, they do a great job in making a memorable impression in their respective roles that they don’t take for granted. They felt similar to the group from Get Out except they are more honest about their dedication to their traditions and rituals. The standouts among them are Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, and Andie MacDowell for their strong performances and interesting roles. Honorable mentions go to Nicky Guadagni and Melanie Scrofano for appearing to have the most fun with their quirks that add to more laughs.

Overall Consensus: Ready or Not blends humor with thrills as it thrives on the great performances of its core cast, an entertaining spook house environment, and a solid premise. ⭑⭑⭑⭑🎟🍿 Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes R

Reasons to watch it: You like any of the aforementioned actors. You enjoy spook house black comedy thrillers. You want to see some neat kills with a lower budget. You want to see jokes made about rich people. You like thrillers about an underdog trying to survive life threatening hunt during a long night.

Reasons to avoid it: You dislike any of the aforementioned actors. You hate spook house black comedy thrillers. You don't want to see jokes made about rich people. You are bored with thrillers about an underdog trying to survive life threatening hunt during a long night.