Movie Review: Ready or Not (2019)

Synopsis: Grace, a former foster child, has always wanted a family and believes she finally has that chance when she marries the wealthy Alex Le Domas. When, on her wedding night, she is invited to participate in the family's tradition of playing a random game with a new member, she thinks it is quirky but is also eager to be accepted. However, when she draws Hide-and-Seek, she quickly learns losing could have deadly consequences.

Who's in it? The movie stars Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Andie MacDowell and Nicky Guadagni.


Review: I saw a preview for this some time ago but, even though I thought the trailer looked interesting, pretty much forgot about the movie until I found the DVD on Netflix. I added it to my queue and my wife and I watched it last night. It turned out to be an entertaining movie.

There were a couple things I found I really liked about this film. One of the first ones was the way the movie managed to be suspenseful but also mixed in just enough comedy to keep the movie from getting too dark. My wife and I especially got a kick out of some of the unintentional deaths, usually at the hands of the drug-addicted sister (Melanie Scrofano).

I also found I liked the way Grace (Weaving) reacts to the situation, starting out completely hysterical then gradually accepting the situation and taking charge. This made the film a lot less predictable because, at least early on, it did make her dependent on someone coming to her rescue and it wasn't clear who would be willing to do that, especially since the family believed her surviving until dawn would result in their deaths. This included her new husband (O'Brien), considering he chose not to warn her about the family's tradition in advance.

The fact she spent a good chunk of the movie scared to the point she wasn't completely rational also made it easier to overlook some of her mistakes, such as running back into the house when she temporarily gained the upperhand and was standing next to an unlocked kitchen door.

Another thing I found intriguing was the mystery surrounding the family's backstory. Were they really cursed? Or were they just insane? The film does a good job of keeping the answer a secret until the very end.

I think my only real complaint about this movie is I'm still a bit confused about the random game thing. What would have happened had she gotten Old Maid (which was an option)? Would just playing be good enough or would she still need to win to survive? I feel like the film could have explained that a little better but I guess it is a moot point regardless.

Final Opinion: The movie has a pretty basic/simple concept but does a great job with it. I enjoyed every minute of it.

My Grade: A

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Movie Review: Mean Girls (2024)

Image
Synopsis: After being raised in Kenya and homeschooled by her mother, high school junior Cady Heron is given the opportunity to attend classes at an American public school. As she tries to adjust, she is invited to join the Plastics, a girl clique headed up by the beautiful but vicious Regina George. Despite her friends, Janis and Damian, warning her about Regina and her fellow clique members, Karen and Gretchen, Cady tries to see the good in Regina. That changes when she falls in love with Regina's ex-boyfriend, Aaron, and sees just how cruel Regina can be. Her acts of revenge, however, result in Cady assuming many of Regina's less-than-desirable traits and ultimately becoming a pariah. All while breaking out into song and dance because this is a musical. Who's in it? The movie stars  Angourie Rice ,  Reneé Rapp ,  Bebe Wood ,  Tim Meadows and Tina Fey . Review: I've seen the original Mean Girls multiple times, first when it originally came out then again with eac
Read more

Kwik Trip Kitchen Cravings Tailgater Pizza

Image
  When my wife and I decided on pizza for dinner last night, I stopped at Kwik Trip with the intention of just buying a cheap, frozen, cheese pizza for our daughters since we already had another pizza in our freezer. However, as I was walking up to the checkout counter, this particular pizza caught my eye and, even though I wasn't crazy about spending $8.99 when I already had another option at home, I was intrigued enough to make the purchase anyway. We ended up making the pizza in the oven when I got home. After trying it, I have to say it is one of my favorites. One of the things, in particular, that really stood out for me when it came to this pizza was the toppings. The combination of sausage and cheese curds was both unique and delicious, especially since the curds were fresh enough to still squeak when we were eating them. The pizza also proved to be surprisingly filling, both because of the thicker crust and the generous amounts of toppings and cheese.  Normally, when my wi
Read more

Movie Review: Saw X (2023)

Image
Synopsis: Given only one year to live because of his brain cancer, Jigsaw Killer John Kramer travels to Mexico for an expensive experimental procedure with proven results. At first, he believes he is cured. Then he realizes it was all an elaborate scam being used to bilk people like him out of millions of dollars. With the help of his assistant, Amanda, he gets his revenge the Jigsaw way. Who's in it? The movie stars Tobin Bell , Shawnee Smith ,  Synnøve Macody Lund , Steven Brand and Renata Vaca . Review: My wife and I talked about seeing Saw X when it came out at theaters around my birthday. We are both fans of the franchise, especially her, and were intrigued by a film that would feature the original Jigsaw Killer. That didn't happen however, due to schedule conflicts, and we've been waiting patiently for Saw X to be available to stream on one of our movie channels. It finally happened last night and, after seeing it... well, let's just say I'm glad I didn&#
Read more