Ready or Not directors Matt Bettinelli Olben and Tyler Gillette, as well as authors Guy Busic and R Christopher Murphy, present an incredibly sinister horror comic that focuses on the blood, audacity and laughter you'd expect from a movie like this. Some films need to fulfill their promise to make the same premise they made, Ready or Not relies on its innovative concept. The film tells the story of newlywed bride Grace (Samara Weifeng) who is chased by her husband's extremely wealthy family, and although the film suffers from a slow start, it escalates to a bloody and intense conclusion that you find yourself clinging to.
The first half of Ready or Not struggles to live up to its premise, and the script doesn't help separate itself from regular horror movies. Grace offers a traditional role as an oblivious hero as she prepares to join the Dumas family by marrying Alex (Mark O'Brien) in their colossal mansion. This part of the movie can be likened to eating your disliked boiled vegetables before indulging in a delicious sweetener, with Grace missing out on some of the terrifying looks from the family at her. Although you expect any horror movie to go through a stage of preparation before the events explode, Ready or Not with its idea and comedy in it would have been more complete if the directors had added the fun and sense of humor that we see later to its beginning as well.
But Ready or Not is constantly improving on its own as it progresses. The story tends to use a more playful tone when Grace must play hide and seek with Alex's parents, siblings, and wives. They made her think it was a tradition for the family to follow when a newcomer joined the family tree, but after all of the Alex family arm themselves with century-old weapons, Grace witnesses a murder that marks a clear turning point in the story. From that moment, the war was declared. However the movie needs more time to add the fun it had the potential to add much earlier.
But the third chapter of the movie lives up to what it promised in its premise. He combines with all cleverness and splendor the blood and comedy that takes the story to its wonderful illogical limits and exerts the required effort. This is where Weifeng also innovates, elevating Grace from a traumatized victim to an avenger, setting the story back on track for a blood-soaked ending. Her story may be predictable, but when things get important, comedy can elevate the film and make up for the most memorable moments.
On the other hand, the performance of the rest of the cast varies. The movie didn't need to be pursued by an Oscar, but some important roles in Ready or Not do not match the direction the film is trying to achieve. Adam Brody and Andy McDowell have good performances as Grace's brother and mother-in-law, respectively, but it is hard not to wonder how much better the film would have been if more senior actors had joined the rest of the Dumas family.
Cinematographer Brett Gotkovitch uses a subtle hue of color that matches the frame of the film. The design of the rich setting in front of the camera fits perfectly, and the same goes for the gothic wedding dress Grace wears throughout the film. Everything in general is well made for a relatively small horror movie with 95 minutes, and that makes a big difference with the escalation of events towards its big conclusion.
Conclusion Although Ready or Not takes a bit more time to present the good side, once he does, he manages to live up to the idea he promised us. It is an entertaining game of tension and blood with a strong whiff of humor, presenting in its entirety a good film clearly designed with a surprising idea and clear artistic effort with an excellent performance of Sarah Weifeng that will definitely make her a star.
