‘Ready or Not’ Film Review: A New Twist on an Old Game

Every now and then, it seems that Hollywood likes to trot out a variation on a classic. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It sometimes seems, after all, that there are only so many stories to be told. The trick, it seems to me, is to put a good spin on a classic premise so that it feels fresh and new.

In a sea of franchise films, sequels, and teen dramas, then, it’s refreshing to find a variation that spins an old tale just enough to make it feel new.

Ready or Not does just that. It takes the central part of its conceit from The Most Dangerous Game, in which an innocent man is hunted for sport, and uses that as a base to spin out a darkly comic tale of a bride hunted by her husband’s family on their wedding night. Her new in-laws have a tradition, it seems, of playing a game whenever a new family member joins. Our bride Grace (Samara Weaving) happens to draw the ‘Hide and Seek’ card, which just happens to be…wait for it…the most dangerous game.

Once the game begins, we’re treated to any number of clever action sequences and set pieces that a thriller such as this depends on. The palatial country home feels like a maze, causing us as viewers to share Grace’s disorientation as she flees her new family, hiding when she can and fighting when she must, as the story plays out.

However, while the set pieces and chase scenes are certainly satisfying, the true strength of Ready or Not lies in the sharp, clever script by Guy Musick and R. Christopher Murray, which takes the time to fully flesh out the characters.  It’s rare in a film like this that the villains (some of them, anyway) come across as real people, and even sympathetic to a degree, which is due not only to the writers, but to directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s approach to the material . While Samara Weaving has been rightfully lauded for her portrayal of Grace (she’s no action hero, and every cut, scrape, and bruise Grace receives comes across in Weaving’s performance), the performances of Andi MacDowell and Adam Brody should be given their due. Brody’s Daniel and McDowell’s Becky, the determined matriarch of the family, both display true depth in their characterizations. They may be hunting Grace, but it’s not necessarily something they want to do, and it shows in their performances.

While Ready or Not is unlikely to ascend into the highest reaches of the horror pantheon, it’s a well-written, well-directed, and well-performed refreshing, fun, exciting twist on an old story, and is more than worth your time.

WHERE CAN I SEE IT? Available to rent on Amazon and Fandango

DOES THE TRAILER GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY? While the trailer does go a little farther than I normally like to see in its reveals, there are plenty of twists and turns and wonderful character moments that the trailer doesn’t touch. And even if it did, it would still be worth your time for the writing and performances of Weaving, Brody, and MacDowell.

WHAT MAKES IT FORTEAN? It fits into Forteana because of another old trope the film digs up and uses well—how much of our good or bad fortune can be attributed to outside, mystical forces? And do these forces even exist? Trust me on this.