Ready or Not (2019)

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Stars: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien
Runtime: 95 minutes

Synopsis: A bride's wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game.

Performances: 4/5
Screenplay: 3/5
Costumes/Makeup: 4/5
Editing: 4/5
Cinematography: 3/5
Score/Soundtrack: 3/5
Entertainment Factor: 4/5

Verdict: Well that was unexpected. "Ready or Not" is one of the biggest, most welcome surprises of the summer, and I'm genuinely shocked at how much fun I had watching it. The 95-minute long movie, directed by a pair of directors who brought us the atrocious "Devil's Due" 5 years ago follows Grace's wedding night in which she has to take part in a deadly hide and seek game set up by her in-laws.

The film could be described as a blend between 1985's "Clue" and 2012 "The Cabin in the Woods", and while I slightly prefer these two over it, it still managed to exceed my expectations and completely justify the price of admission. It's 90 minutes of pure insanity, filled with gore, tension, action, and comedy, all set in an impressively well-designed large mansion. It definitely also dives a little deeper and serves as a commentary on traditions, family values, and rich families, however I highly doubt that people will walk out of the theater thinking about those. Most of the characters were fun to watch and well-acted, including the lead played by Samara Weaving, but there were still a few whose presence was a little annoying. The narrative also contained a bunch of flaws such as poorly delivered exposition and foreshadowings, as well as conveniences I frankly couldn't get behind. The cinematography and score were also elements I found a little underwhelming, but never to the point of taking me out of the movie.

"Ready or Not" was entertaining without a doubt and is definitely worth experiencing on the big screen even if it doesn't really offer anything particularly new on a technical level. It dives into the action without wasting any time and it's exhilarating from beginning to end.

FINAL GRADE: 7.5/10