Ready or Not
The wedding hosted by the Le Domas family for their youngest son Alex (Mark O’Brien) and his bride Grace (Samara Weaving) was fabulous. It’s the Le Domas wedding night tradition for the newcomer to draw a card at random and play a game with the family. She selects Hide and Seek.
This turns out to be a tragic selection. That card requires the family to hunt her down and sacrifice her to Satan. Talk about bad luck!
Wickedly funny and explosively gory, Ready or Not is the perfect end of summer treat for horror lovers. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Southbound) cleverly spin The Most Dangerous Game with wry class commentary and thrills.
The directorial duo has a fine sense of space. The Le Domas estate is a character, with every dark corner and hidden doorway explored. Delicious details include some funny sight gags; be alert to catch them.
The script is wonderful. Writers Guy Busick (Stan Against Evil) and Ryan Murphy (Minutes Past Midnight) offer witty dialogue, incisive observations and a ton of laughs. In an entertaining subplot, the menacing Le Domas elders are routinely foiled by offspring considerably less competent. It’s hard to hold ritual sacrifices when your children won’t get off their phones or stop popping pills.
Centering the film is Weaving’s performance. Her Grace is kind, quick-thinking and ultimately pretty darn tough. Her reaction to her predicament is both hilarious and touching. And she can run in a wedding dress.
High though it is on comedy, this is a horror flick. There are plenty of cringe-inducing moments, including one terrifying image of a nail and a hand. But the horror of the blood and guts is undercut by comedy that may help squeamish viewers enjoy the film.
The spectacular ending makes up for any faults, including a bit too much length. Ready or Not is a bloody good comedy.
Good Comedy • R • 95 mins.
~~~ New this Week ~~~
After the Wedding
Isabel (Michelle Williams) has devoted her life to caring for children in Calcutta. Despite her best efforts, the orphanage is on the brink of closing. The surprise offer of a multimillion-dollar grant seems her salvation.
The grant, however, comes with odd terms. Isabel must go to New York to meet her benefactor Theresa (Julianne Moore) and attend a wedding with her. It’s weird, but Isabel needs the money.
At the wedding, a secret and potentially life-changing link is revealed between the two women.
A remake of a brilliant film by Susanne Bier, After the Wedding gender-swaps the leads to refresh the story for a modern audience. It’s not a bad choice. Moore and Williams are two of the best actresses working today. However, without Bier’s direction, and with liberties taken with the script, this imitation pales in comparison to the original Danish drama. Scenes lack urgency, and the characters are not likeable.
Prospects: Dim • PG-13 • 110 mins.
Don’t Let Go
Detective Jack Radcliffe (David Oyelowo) is devastated when his dear niece Ashley (Storm Reid) is murdered.
Then his phone rings, and Jack hears Ashley’s voice. Somehow, they are communicating through time and space. Can Jack save Ashley by talking her through his investigation of her future murder? Or is fate unchangeable?
Labor Day weekend is notoriously slow for movies, so studios release all the films they regret making. That’s why we have slim box office pickins this weekend. Don’t Let Go is a rehash of Frequency with two actors far better than the material they’ve been given.
Prospects: Dim • R • 107 mins.