As someone who loves a good thriller and a strong female lead, the film Ready or Not (2019) by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett was a perfect example of a film that was overlooked at its initial release. It’s no secret that 2020 was the year that we all spent watching films, and it’s clear that fans have not hesitated to rave about this thrilling and satirical flick.
Lead actress Samara Weaving plays a newlywed bride, Grace, who finds herself playing a horrific game of hide-and-seek against her Satan-worshipping in-laws. Although this film seems like a classic teenage satire, it has a lot more to offer than just that. This fun comedy-thriller is perfect for a night in with your friends or significant other. It is full of plot twists and nail-biting, what’s-going-to-happen-next scenes. Grace becomes her own heroine in this film after her new husband and in-laws, the Le Domas family, try to murder her. Thankfully for her, they end up taking someone else out. Spoiler alert, but Grace ends up getting her revenge and her in-laws all die at the end. I genuinely don’t think that this film could’ve ended on a better note. Aside from the sarcasm, my favourite part of this film was for sure the fact that Grace wore the same outfit for the entirety of the film but still underwent a costume change. First, we see the beautiful and poised wedding dress, then halfway through Grace rips the bottom of the dress to shorten it and throws on her pair of yellow high-top converse. This was for sure the moment when she realizes that she’s the only one who’s going to get her out of this bloody situation and she turns into her own hero.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film received some decent reviews, scoring 78% on audience score and 88% on the Tomatometer. I would give this film an 85%. It is the type of film that I enjoy, and the combination of comedy and horror is fun and entertaining to watch. Grace keeps the audience on the edge of their seats as she fights for her life. Another favourite part of the film was the ending where she sits on the steps for a cigarette and an officer asks her what happened. She replies, “in-laws”. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to this film, as it keeps the satire and suspense going right until the last minute.
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