Ready or Not Movie Review
Ready or Not is a baffling mix of violence, comedy, and horror that shouldn’t work at all but somehow miraculously it does. Normally I don’t see any movies that look remotely scary. But this one looked like it was going to be heavier on the laughs than the screams, so I decided to give it a go.
Plus two of my favorite actors, who rarely do movies are in it. I’m talking about Melanie Scrofano who you might know from the incredible television show Wynonna Earp. And also my dude Kristian Bruun who starred in one of my favorite television shows of all time, Orphan Black. If you haven’t seen Orphan Black, please go watch it immediately. Bruun is hilarious in the show and I was so happy to see him get this role. End of rant about my favorite television actors.
Ready or Not focuses on the Le Domas family who have amassed their fortune in the board game industry. Their son Alex (Mark O’Brien) gets married to Grace (Samara Weaving) and it’s announced that after a wedding it is a family tradition to play a game. The whole family gathers and picks a game at random. Grace unfortunately selects hide and seek and the twist is revealed. There’s some back story about a family curse that is a little convoluted but the gist is that if hide and seek is selected the family must try to kill the person who married into the family. Slowly it is revealed to Grace that her new in-laws have some major issues.
This movie is full of totally absurd moments that are so outrageous they are hilarious. The reason it works so well is because the cast is literally perfect. I’ll start with Samara Weaving who was magnificent. Her timing is impeccable and she does a phenomenal job being able to pivot from pure fear to delivering comical one liners. Veteran actors Henry Czerny and Andie MacDowell play the parents, Tony and Becky Le Domas respectively. Melanie Scrofano plays Emilie, a member of the Le Domas family who has a cocaine habit and a knack for killing the wrong people. She is married to the inept Fitch Bradley, who is played by Kristian Bruun. The Le Domas family is rounded out by none other than Adam Brody (O.C. forever, don’t fight it) and Elyse Levesque who was also in Orphan Black.
Obviously you can see that this cast is phenomenal and full of super talented actors, mainly from Canada. This can only mean that we desperately need to support Canadian film and television because they are churning out some talent. Ready or Not is full of violence, gore, and laughs which seems like it wouldn’t work, but it really really does. If you’re looking for a good time, this one is a good pick.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like the blending of genres
2. You can stomach violence and gore
3. You want to see some prime Canadian actors KILL it
