🎬 Ready or Not (2019)


Trailer provided by SearchlightPictures via YouTube.

           

Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)
Release Date: August 21, 2019
Genre: Horror, Comedy, Thriller
Platform: Available on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and digital platforms
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writers: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy
Cast: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Elyse Levesque, Nicky Guadagni, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell


What happens when you marry into a ridiculously wealthy family… and they try to murder you on your wedding night?

Ready or Not takes this wild premise and runs with it—literally. It’s a blood-soaked, darkly comic thrill ride that delivers razor-sharp satire, wicked humor, and one of the most badass final girls in recent horror memory. If you’re into movies that mix laughs with limb-splattering chaos, this one’s ready to play.

Directed by the filmmaking duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (of Scream 2022 fame), Ready or Not is a film that balances its tone with almost surgical precision. It’s hilarious without being silly, terrifying without being overwrought, and smart without being smug.

Let’s dive into why this movie deserves a spot in your horror rotation.


The Premise: Hide and Seek With the Devil

Grace (played by the absolutely magnetic Samara Weaving) is a down-to-earth, orphaned woman who’s just married Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), the estranged son of an ultra-rich family who made their fortune in board games. But before the honeymoon can begin, Grace is told there’s a family tradition she must partake in: a midnight game with her new in-laws.

She draws a card from a mysterious heirloom box, and wouldn’t you know it—she gets “Hide and Seek.” The catch? The family believes that unless they find and sacrifice her before sunrise, a deadly curse will befall them all.

Armed with vintage weapons and delusional fervor, the Le Domas clan—including a perfectly sinister Henry Czerny as the patriarch and a delightfully icy Andie MacDowell as the matriarch—begin hunting Grace through their labyrinthine mansion.

But Grace is no damsel. She fights back.


Samara Weaving: A Star is Bloodied

This film would not work without Samara Weaving, and luckily, she’s spectacular. Grace begins the film bright-eyed and hopeful, only to become bloodied, barefoot, and broken—but never defeated. Weaving delivers a performance that’s equal parts vulnerable, furious, and hilarious. She screams, snarls, laughs, and survives in ways that are endlessly satisfying to watch.

Her wedding dress becomes a visual metaphor: pristine and white at the start, but gradually ripped, stained, and tattered—a symbol of innocence turned avenger. It’s a star-making turn and an instant addition to the Final Girl Hall of Fame.


The Le Domas Family: Dysfunctional, Deranged, and Deadly

One of the most fun aspects of Ready or Not is its ensemble of wealthy weirdos. The Le Domas clan is like a gothic version of the Roy family from Succession, armed with crossbows and satanic superstition. Adam Brody shines as Daniel, the alcoholic brother-in-law torn between morality and obligation. His dry, sardonic wit provides some of the film’s best lines, and his arc is unexpectedly affecting.

Meanwhile, Aunt Helene (played with deadpan perfection by Nicky Guadagni) steals every scene with her wild eyes, militant posture, and unflinching dedication to the ritual. Her presence adds just the right amount of unhinged energy.

Each family member is ridiculous in their own way—some inept, some unrepentant—and the movie smartly uses them to skewer everything from generational wealth to inherited guilt.


Bloody Brilliant Direction and Style

From a filmmaking standpoint, Ready or Not is an absolute treat. The direction is slick and assured, blending classical horror tropes with kinetic action and sharp comedic beats. The production design leans into opulence and old money aesthetics, turning the Le Domas mansion into both a literal and symbolic house of horrors.

The score by Brian Tyler and Sven Faulconer adds a theatrical, almost whimsical flair, heightening the absurdity of the situation without ever letting it feel like parody.

And let’s talk about the gore—because there’s a lot. The violence is brutal but stylized, often so outrageous that it circles back around to comedy. Exploding heads, nail-pierced hands, blood-soaked corridors—it’s gleeful carnage with a message.


Themes: Class, Privilege, and Rituals of Power

Beneath the mayhem and murder, Ready or Not has something to say. The Le Domas family believes their wealth was bestowed by a mysterious benefactor named “Le Bail” (an unsubtle nod to La Baal, another name for the Devil). In return, they must maintain a tradition of blood sacrifice. The film uses this to satirize the idea that old money is built on literal and figurative violence.

Grace, an outsider from humble beginnings, represents the disruption of that cycle. Her unwillingness to accept the rules of their game makes her a threat—not just to their lives, but to their entire worldview. The film critiques the lengths the ultra-wealthy will go to protect their status, cloaking greed and cruelty in the language of tradition.

It’s “eat the rich” horror, but with a grin and a splatter.


Final Act: A Fiery Finish

Without giving away too much, the film’s third act is a glorious, chaotic crescendo. Just when you think it’s going to pull its punches, it doubles down on the insanity. The ending is one of the most satisfying horror finales in recent years—bold, unexpected, and genuinely cathartic.

Grace’s final line? Instantly iconic.


What Works and What Doesn’t

What Works:

  • Samara Weaving’s career-defining performance
  • Sharp satire wrapped in bloody genre fun
  • Tight pacing and smart direction
  • Hilarious, twisted tone
  • A satisfying, unforgettable ending

What Doesn’t:

  • Some of the humor might not land for all viewers
  • A couple supporting characters are underdeveloped
  • The mythology is thin if you think about it too hard—but honestly, that’s not the point


Final Thoughts

Ready or Not is a masterclass in horror-comedy: sharp, shocking, and side-splitting in equal measure. With its devilish premise, unforgettable heroine, and slick execution, it delivers everything you want from a midnight movie and then some.

It’s a cathartic, blood-drenched takedown of elitism that doesn’t take itself too seriously—but still lands its punches. Whether you come for the laughs, the screams, or the social commentary, you’ll leave thoroughly entertained.

This is the kind of film you’ll want to revisit just to watch Grace light it all on fire again.


Verdict: 4.5/5 — A fiendishly fun horror ride with a wicked sense of humor and a killer lead performance.