READY OR NOT
***
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Screenwriters: Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy
Principal cast:
Samara Weaving
Mark O’Brien
Adam Brody
Andie MacDowell
Henry Czerny
Melanie Scrofano
Country: Canada/USA
Classification: MA15+
Runtime: 95 mins.
Australian release date: 24 October 2019
Previewed at: Event Cinemas, George Street, Sydney on 22 October 2019.
Aussie actress Samara Weaving, the niece of Hugo, is the absolute star of thrill-kill comedy Ready Or Not; she commands the screen for much of the movie’s running time, upstaging the better-known actors with whom she appears. While the film won’t break any box-office records (although it will return big bucks for its lowly US$6 million budget) or win any critical prizes, it’s a great calling-card for its star, writers and directors. Weaving is kind of like a toothier version of Margot Robbie and look how her star has risen in Hollywood since The Wolf Of Wall Street? On the strength of this effort, it’s easy to envisage this antipodean actress having a similar career trajectory.
It’s the night of Grace’s (Weaving) wedding to Alex (Mark O’Brien), scion of the wealthy Le Domas “dominion,” as they prefer to be known. After the guests have departed and as Grace is getting ready for some post-nuptial fun, Alex informs her that first there is a family tradition in which she must partake before she can truly be accepted as part of the dynasty. Great-grandfather Victor Le Domas made his fortune through the manufacture of board games, with the help of a mysterious magician called Mr. Le Bail and, as part of their deal, Le Bail insisted that any new member of the family go through an initiation involving playing a game of their choosing. The ritual dictates that if the unfortunate one selects the rare Hide and Seek card, he or she is doomed to be hunted down by the other members of the group before dawn or the Le Domas line will come to an abrupt end. No prizes for guessing which card Grace draws! (Not a spoiler. This all happens very early in the film). “She’ll never be one of us,” one of the sibling’s sniffs, to which Alex’s brother Daniel (Adam Brody) replies, “Of course not, she has a soul!” And the hunt begins, with the extended Addams Family-like clan issued with antique weapons - it’s part of the tradition - and spreading out through the many rooms, corridors and servant’s passages of the vast old mansion (naturally). By now, Alex has told Grace about the ramifications of her unfortunate choice of card, to which she responds with, “You said your family was f**ked up. You didn’t say [they were] psycho killers.”
Ready Or Not is a clever twist on an old plot - there’s a long list of movies involving people being hunted for sport - but there are enough tense moments and snappy lines to keep your interest throughout. The producers’ choice of dual directors is interesting. When the script was virtually complete, a call went out for directors and a three-man collective called Radio Silence answered. Consisting of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett plus executive producer Chad Villella, the trio have been working together since 2009, their reputation growing through their short films and features. One of the co-producers admits that, “I was a little apprehensive when I heard that three people were going to be coming in and talking to us about [the film],” but Gillett explained, “It’s like being in a band. The three of us have all worked together to create a very specific sound. We know how everyone has tuned instruments, and we’re all good at different things.” And it seems to be true, judging by Ready Or Not.
This is a fun film but, be warned, avoid it if a bit of ironic ultra-violence and a lot of bad language are likely to offend you. For the rest, if you like your humour black and enjoy seeing a damsel in distress fleeing monsters, albeit human ones, then Ready Or Not might be for you.
Screenwriters: Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy
Principal cast:
Samara Weaving
Mark O’Brien
Adam Brody
Andie MacDowell
Henry Czerny
Melanie Scrofano
Country: Canada/USA
Classification: MA15+
Runtime: 95 mins.
Australian release date: 24 October 2019
Previewed at: Event Cinemas, George Street, Sydney on 22 October 2019.
Aussie actress Samara Weaving, the niece of Hugo, is the absolute star of thrill-kill comedy Ready Or Not; she commands the screen for much of the movie’s running time, upstaging the better-known actors with whom she appears. While the film won’t break any box-office records (although it will return big bucks for its lowly US$6 million budget) or win any critical prizes, it’s a great calling-card for its star, writers and directors. Weaving is kind of like a toothier version of Margot Robbie and look how her star has risen in Hollywood since The Wolf Of Wall Street? On the strength of this effort, it’s easy to envisage this antipodean actress having a similar career trajectory.
It’s the night of Grace’s (Weaving) wedding to Alex (Mark O’Brien), scion of the wealthy Le Domas “dominion,” as they prefer to be known. After the guests have departed and as Grace is getting ready for some post-nuptial fun, Alex informs her that first there is a family tradition in which she must partake before she can truly be accepted as part of the dynasty. Great-grandfather Victor Le Domas made his fortune through the manufacture of board games, with the help of a mysterious magician called Mr. Le Bail and, as part of their deal, Le Bail insisted that any new member of the family go through an initiation involving playing a game of their choosing. The ritual dictates that if the unfortunate one selects the rare Hide and Seek card, he or she is doomed to be hunted down by the other members of the group before dawn or the Le Domas line will come to an abrupt end. No prizes for guessing which card Grace draws! (Not a spoiler. This all happens very early in the film). “She’ll never be one of us,” one of the sibling’s sniffs, to which Alex’s brother Daniel (Adam Brody) replies, “Of course not, she has a soul!” And the hunt begins, with the extended Addams Family-like clan issued with antique weapons - it’s part of the tradition - and spreading out through the many rooms, corridors and servant’s passages of the vast old mansion (naturally). By now, Alex has told Grace about the ramifications of her unfortunate choice of card, to which she responds with, “You said your family was f**ked up. You didn’t say [they were] psycho killers.”
Ready Or Not is a clever twist on an old plot - there’s a long list of movies involving people being hunted for sport - but there are enough tense moments and snappy lines to keep your interest throughout. The producers’ choice of dual directors is interesting. When the script was virtually complete, a call went out for directors and a three-man collective called Radio Silence answered. Consisting of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett plus executive producer Chad Villella, the trio have been working together since 2009, their reputation growing through their short films and features. One of the co-producers admits that, “I was a little apprehensive when I heard that three people were going to be coming in and talking to us about [the film],” but Gillett explained, “It’s like being in a band. The three of us have all worked together to create a very specific sound. We know how everyone has tuned instruments, and we’re all good at different things.” And it seems to be true, judging by Ready Or Not.
This is a fun film but, be warned, avoid it if a bit of ironic ultra-violence and a lot of bad language are likely to offend you. For the rest, if you like your humour black and enjoy seeing a damsel in distress fleeing monsters, albeit human ones, then Ready Or Not might be for you.