31 Days of Horror: Ready or Not

Horror isn’t just a genre; it’s an amalgamation of pop culture, cozy traditions, and things that go bump in the night. This year, we're taking our 31 Days of Horror across the entire cultural spectrum. We’ll be taking a look at movies that scare us, games that kept us paranoid, scary books we cozy up with under blankets, music that sets that spooky tone and seasonal food we’re craving–or strange food you’d have to tie us up and force feed us. Whether you’re looking for something truly terrifying or a cozy autumn haunt, come back every day this month for a new bite-sized review or spooky adjacent list.

When I first saw Ready or Not, I was completely entranced by its completely absurd brand of horror comedy that follows Samara Weaving as Grace, a young woman on her wedding day as she married into the wealthy Le Domas family. Once the night comes she must play a traditional family game that surprisingly turns into a The Most Dangerous Game riff full of spoilery stuff I won't go into just yet. So, yeah fun!!

Ready or Not is downright goofy at times, but maintains it's overarching  tone so well throughout.  A character may deliver their line in the most over the top campy way but the Radio Silence, the production team behind the film, grounds it with a fantastic dark cinematography and level headed direction.  That's pretty much directors y Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett entire MO: make the audience laugh at horrific shit happening on screen.

Ready Or Not is filled with plenty of interesting set pieces for fans of very bloody and fun deaths, but never crosses the line into blatantly absurd...til the end where all your shreds of realism you may have had (which you shouldn't have given the insane beating certain characters take) is thrown out the window in wonderful fashion.

What makes the film stand tall is that it never eschews the heart of the story: Grace and her resilience. Attempted kill after attempted kill, she mages to weave (pun intended) in and out of every scenario and her magnificent wail will be lauded with the best horror final girls. 

Go watch it now before I dig into it's sequel later this month! You can see where Ready or Not is streaming over at JustWatch or pick up a physical copy at your preferred retailer (or where you can find it since its kinda hard to find for a reasonable price)