Ready or Not

Clearly this year's hit, which hit my taste exactly. A captivating Victorian mansion, a rich fanatical family, the gorgeous Samara Weaving, who is the most in demand and best actress on the horror scene at the moment, and a great idea that is perfect for the horror genre. From the start the film picks up a huge amount of momentum that doesn't let up until the end, the humour works too, which goes best with the eternally high Melanie Scrofano, and there is a fair amount of violence that literally erupts into a bloodbath in the finale. Suspenseful, intense, stylish and thanks to Samara's superb performance, this was an unforgettable experience for me. The bride in her Converse shoes, with her dress torn and covered in blood is already symbolic for me. I haven’t had such a good time at the horror cinema this year, so I’m gladly giving it a weaker five stars. 85%. (21/10/2019)

I thought back to Sam Raimi's films, the good ones that is, and I couldn't help but marvel at how much fun I was having. The bloody black-humor hide-and-seek can definitely surprise and thrill, and if it weren't for a few slightly weaker and more predictable parts (the escape into the woods), I wouldn't have much to complain about. Apart from Samara Weaving (unlike in Netflix's The Babysitter, she's the heroine this time around, and it occurs to me that the two films have a lot in common and would make an ideal program for an evening) and the other admittedly lesser known but great (to watch) actors, I have to single out Brian Tyler's music, which makes for just the right atmosphere at just the right moments. The scene of the ritual and the one after it are without exaggeration unforgettable. (03/09/2019)

Grace has just got married and she realises it wasn't a good idea. Her new in-laws want to play hide-and-seek with her. If they don't find her by morning, she wins. If they find her, she'll probably die in a cruel ritual. It'll be fun. Ready or Not is a blackly humorous horror film that alternates fairly brutal scenes with a lot of gritty humour, but also some solidly suspenseful moments. It has a great main character, and the only problem in the end is that they didn't step it up a notch. As a whole, though, it's pretty good. (27/08/2019)

Since I’m not rich yet, I’ve no problem sympathising with this peculiar fairytale. An entertainingly lively spin on the concept of the human hunt that turns into a morbid carnage in the popular setting of a big baroque mansion. Although it grinds at times with the cheap way it delays the climax and the helplessness of the hunters associated to it, the viewer can always cling to the brilliant, badass main character (Samara Weaving was really born for roles like this), and in the ending rely on an unpredictable wave of foreshadowing, thanks to which the film can be taken as perverted and openly trashy fun in A-movie clothes. I’d love to see more brainwashers like this in the cinema, and all of them could be with Samara. 75% (16/09/2019)

A thoroughbred lightweight horror comedy, the kind of which we hadn’t had in a long time. The creators made up for the not entirely successful Devil’s Due and followed up on their segment in the first V/H/S anthology, where they first got on the radar a few years back. Ready or Not is a delightful joke that playfully makes use of its rather silly premise (which is perfectly suitable for a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously), a panopticon of crazy rich people and an extremely likeable heroine played by Samara Weaving. The result is a fast ride that is hard to resist. Personally, I wish it was a little bit wilder, sharper and nimbler (it is not as bloody as some mainstream commenters will try to tell you). But all those quibbles can be forgotten the moment the heroine gets going and starts adorably fucking everything up. I enjoyed it very much. (22/08/2019)