There are two ways to deal with a ridiculous premise. You can try making sense of it all through convoluted exposition or fantastical world building. Or you can accept that it’s all a bit silly and have fun with it.
In Ready or Not, writers Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy and directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett take the shortcut method and it’s the perfect approach for this farcical but surprisingly well-constructed film. The premise — that every time a new person enters the Le Domas family, they must partake in a life-or-death midnight game — is ridiculous, but the film navigates this by acknowledging how far this sits outside the scope of reality. The audience isn’t expected to believe that this film could resemble a possible reality; all we are asked is to do is believe that the Le Domas family believe this ritual to be sacred.
Alex’s (Mark O’Brien) new bride Grace (Samara Weaving) is the latest addition to the Le Domas clan and thus the most vulnerable to their bloodthirsty desire for a new victim. Her straight character understandably can’t fathom this absurd ritual, and her horrified perspective ensures the audience has at least one ally. But she isn’t alone; the fact that other members of the Le Demoas family are sympathetic to her distress is comforting for the viewer and makes the story more interesting than a simple cat-and-mouse game.
The film’s biggest strength is its characterisation; each performer has their own personality and is given an opportunity to express their point of view. As such, the joy of the film is seeing how each of the Le Domases navigate their own unique passions and insecurities and reconcile this with the notion of trying to kill Grace.
This is matched with some decent acting performances, which are a pleasant surprise given the otherwise low-budget look of the film. If you can look past her doppelganger resemblance to Margot Robbie, Samara Weaving is a convincing lead with a good range, and she is well supported by a few familiar faces in Andie MacDowell and Adam Brody.
Ready or Not sits more in the comedy than horror category; its intention is to entertain more than to scare its audience. The writers employ suspenseful tropes and are liberal with blood and gore, but the jump scares are mild and the deaths comical. When faced with resolving a scene with a thrill or a punchline, Ready or Not mostly opts for the latter.
For a film of its genre – either black comedy or light horror, take your pick – Ready or Not doesn’t do a lot wrong. Perhaps its biggest flaw is the lack of plot development; once Grace goes hiding and the Le Domases go seeking, it isn’t long before the directors launch us into the action. What ensues is not particularly surprising, nor intellectual, but Ready or Not never stops being fun. And that’s the least you can ask for in a film that revolves around little more than a bloody hide and seek game.
Ready or Not is in cinemas from 24thOctober through 20th Century Fox.
