READY OR NOT Review – A Devilishly Good Time
Jonathan Barkan
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Starring Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien
Written by Guy Busick, Ryan Murphy
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Samara Weaving’s Grace is marrying into the De Lomas family, a jokingly self-proclaimed dominion akin to the Hassenfeld Brothers, aka Hasbro. Foul-mouthed yet honest, she is clearly cut from a different cloth. She is charming in the way that endears her to the everyperson. Meanwhile, her fresh husband Daniel (Adam Brody) is clearly agitated by the prospect of the wedding ceremony taking place at home. A man who wants to be free from his family but is perfectly content to live a luxurious lifestyle, he is the ultimate Nice Guy™.
If money is the root of all evil, the rich must clearly be in league with the Devil himself. Ready or Not steers directly into this ritualistic mentality, making it the foundation of the murderous game they all willingly partake in, Grace notwithstanding. Owning it right up front, the whole “Deal with the Devil” gag is nothing new and this film certainly doesn’t try to change anything. Instead, aims to have fun with the premise, splitting time evenly between poking fun at it while also taking it deadly serious.
This juxtaposition makes Weaving’s Grace all the more entertaining as she is thrust into a world that she already knows very little about only to discover that she is completely unaware of what her nuptials entail. The Mayhem scene-stealer plays Grace with such bombastic energy and ferocious intensity, it’s impossible to not love everything about her. Her ability to express pain and trauma is second to none, every injury met with entirely believable anguish and rage.
To say that Ready or Not has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face is a bit of an understatement. Class warfare and the ways that the poor will cut each other’s throats to earn favor amongst the privileged are put on full display. Maids are seen as less than human, their deaths a source of frustration instead of horror, and they are willing to throw Grace under the bus to continue their lives of subservience. It’s all very obvious but the film doesn’t suffer from it. It’s just…there.
Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett direct each scene with the audience’s enjoyment at the forefront of their concerns. The camera slides smoothly through opulent hallways before jerkily bobbing and weaving amidst the chaos. A car crash plays like a symphony while the climax almost deprecatingly holds steady amidst one of the funniest, and bloodiest, scenes you’ll see all year.
Ready or Not is pure fun. Nothing more, nothing less, and 100% unashamed of what it offers. It’s pure popcorn delight with enough gore for horror fans and enough humor for everyone else. Plus, Weaving is a goddamn treasure.
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Ready or Not
Summary
Ready or Not is a devilishly good time. Samara Weaving wades through viscera and gore, emerging a new Queen of Horror.
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