Wedding days are supposed to be one of the most happy and memorable days in a person’s life. In Ready or Not, Grace (Samara Weaving)’s wedding day is definitely one of the most memorable days of her life, but it’s arguably the worst and most traumatic of her life, as well.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Ready or Not is not only a pleasantly surprising thriller, but it’s also a fresh, clever and unexpected comedy.
The film follows Grace and Alex (Mark O’Brien) on their wedding night, as Alex’s family conducts a deadly game of hide and seek, where they’re forced to kill the “new family member” before dawn, or else the rest of the family will die. Subsequently, it’s up to Grace to make it through the night without getting caught.
The film has an incredibly original storyline, written by Guy Busick and horror screenplay veteran, Ryan Murphy. Most thriller and horror films fall within a selection of themes, but Ready or Not is an outlier, and does a great job of captivating the audience with it’s tense nature and unpredictability throughout.
Arguably the main reason the film is so captivating is because of the stellar cast, especially Weaving. Her portrayal of Grace’s fear and fight or flight response is so realistic and well-done. It’s almost impossible not to root and fear for Weaving’s character throughout the film.
Adam Brody and O’Brien are both great highlights of the film as well. Their character arcs are so interesting, and it’s able to be properly appreciated by the audience by the way they play out. Typically, supporting characters either are given too much attention or not enough, but Brody and O’Brien perfectly dive into their characters to where it isn’t distracting from the plot and it’s interesting to the audience.
Another part of that tense feeling is the film’s music. Brian Tyler, the film’s composer, does a fantastic job of combining a lovely wedding feel, with an incredibly suspenseful tone. Part of what makes a thriller or horror film great is the music, and Tyler does a great job with this film.
What is extremely unexpected about the film is its slight focus on comedy. The writers use comedic angles a lot throughout the film, especially with the ending. With a film that’s so tense from the first five minutes, it’s nice to have those gems of comedy sprinkled throughout the suspense.
The writing, acting, special effects and everything in between border the line of seriousness and outrageousness in Ready or Not. Nonetheless, the film does it perfectly to where the audience can tell the film knows exactly what it is, and what it’s trying to convey to the audience.
Ready or Not is an original thriller with gleamings of comedy that will keep audiences guessing until the very end. With a phenomenal cast, quirky writing and an incredible self-awareness, the film is a definite must-see.
