Ready or Not (2019)
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett
Horror comedies aren’t usually something I enjoy. Usually they’re too corny and mock horror, which just annoys me. I’ll admit that I do enjoy Scary Movie 1 & 2, even though those are dumb as hell. Very rarely does one come along that I enjoy.
Ready or Not is about a bride’s wedding night takes a sinister turn when her new in laws force her to take part in a terrifying game. That’s at least what IMDB says, but basically the bride has to run for her life while the in-laws hunt her down and try to kill her before dawn. At dawn the whole family dies, or at least that was the deal an ancestor made with the devil years ago. Now Grace (the bride) is in a high stakes game of tag.
Samara Weaving plays Grace and she is great, I really really like her in everything I’ve seen her in. She is an underrated actress and deserves more recognition. She was great in this and the Babysitter. She is very pretty and has a charm to her, with a subtle sense of humor. Adam Brody plays her husband, Daniel. He seems somewhat caught up in what his family is doing but still a little loathsome for not warning his wife. All around the acting is pretty decent in this, the cast is funny and solid. There are a few laugh out loud parts in this movie. A scene where Fitch is googling how to use a crossbow cracks me up. All the accidental murders never stopped being funny to me either.
The special effects are pretty good, there are some gory parts throughout. The ending is a amazingly bloody mess that is also pretty damn hilarious. Spoilers ahead just a warning. After dawn, Grace survives, everyone laughs because nothing has happened to them, then one by one each family member just explodes into a pile of blood and meat. I mean everyone! Kids, old people, everyone! Grace walks out of the house covered in gore and sits on the steps. An officer walks up and says “Jesus Christ, what happened to you?!” Grace replies “in-laws.” I laughed so hard at that, so damn funny.
I would suggest this to anyone. If you love comedy, you’ll enjoy it. If you love horror, you’ll enjoy it. It hits on all levels and is even compelling as an action movie. I really can’t give this any less than an A. I’ll likely watch this one again.
