When you turn on the TV these days, it feels as if the western world is caught in a giant game of tug of war. Millions of people seem poised and fired up to fundamentally change societies in terms of climate, medicine, income, gender, race, and a host of other issues. Others are just as motivated to preserve what they view as the natural order of life, the only one they’ve ever known. The heated debate on which direction the western societies should continue on, forging new paths led by younger people, or reinforcing the standards and traditions of yesteryear is unavoidable and continue to permeate everyday conversation and the global news cycle. As a reflection of the cultures from which they spring, it is to be expected that cinema is no different and Ready or Not, a new darkly satirical thriller from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett is making its own statement on the topic.
Ready or Not follows newlywed couple Grace (Samara Weaving) and Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), scion of the ultrawealthy Le Domas gaming family. A former foster child, Grace is excited to finally have a family to call her own after marrying Alex at his family’s luxurious estate, despite how weird the rest of his family appears to be. On their wedding night, Alex explains that is family tradition for a new addition to join the others in playing a game as a family at midnight. But after choosing the game at random, Grace soon finds out there’s a deadly catch to both the game and the Le Domas family fortune itself.
Ready or Not’s satirical examination on the place traditions hold within our society, and how it presents the question of whether it is wise to hold onto said traditions in perpetuity just for tradition’s sake by taking it to its most absurd extreme, is both clever and engaging in its execution. There seems to be a clear line of demarcation within the Le Domas family in regards to their enthusiasm with continuing the tradition of making a sacrifice to the devil in the name of Le Bail, the mysterious shipmate of great grandfather Vincent Le Domas with whom the patriarch made a deal for the family’s good fortune. The younger Le Domas’s Alex, Daniel (Adam Brody), and Fitch Bradley (Kristian Bruun), while the elder members, mom and dad Tony and Becky (Henry Czerny and Andie MacDowell), and Aunt Helene (Nicky Guadagni) are completely married to continuing with the sadistic tradition out of their fear of the alternative, said to be the family’s own brutal deaths. The mostly generational split brings to mind our society’s own issues as outlined in the opening of this review, with Ready or Not satirically using the Le Domas family to explore the schism. The younger generation seems unsure of the place of the family tradition and whether or not it’s even true. They hesitatingly participate but seem less and less eager to as time goes on and things go less and less to plan. The elders are all in and believe in the tradition wholeheartedly, completely buying into the myth and deathly afraid of what will happen if it’s not followed. All the chaos in the world as a result of following the tradition isn’t enough to dissuade them. As the Amazon rainforest burns in support of old practices we can’t seem to let go of, the connection is hard to avoid. The film uses its plot to not only entertain us directly as we watch it unfold, but to provoke thought on broader applications. Without spoiling anything, the film also brilliantly leaves us with no easy answers to its question about the place of traditions. If a tradition does in fact power one’s greatness and if rejection of it could lead to dire consequences, would it still be worth following regardless of its impact on others? Do the ends justify the means?
One exception to the younger-older split in the family is Daniel’s wife Charity (Elyse Levesque) who comes from a tougher background and married into the Le Domas opulence. We learn that when she first married Daniel and he informed her of the family’s ways, she didn’t hesitate to enter into their union, as reverting back to a life of lesser means was a nightmare of hers. The eagerness with which Charity joins in on the Le Domas family’s brutality serves as a stark allegory for the eager promotion that many poorer people have for the more questionable impulses of the richer segments of our society. For many people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the pull of experiencing better after years of suffering motivates them more to keep questionable practices and traditions in place so that they may get their turn to experience them, rather than tearing them down and starting anew. Charity’s character is an excellent, subtle exploration of this phenomenon.
The ensemble in Ready or Not has an undeniable chemistry that perfectly compliments the interesting story and subject matter, helping to power the film to what it is. Samara Weaving shines as the film’s scream queen showing an adeptness at action, good comedic timing, and coming off very believably as a young woman thrust into a nightmare. Adam Brody also performs well as the conflicted brother of the groom, caught between a desire for change and loyalty to his family. The role calls for slowly developing inner conflict and Brody executes it wonderfully. Nicky Guadagni is a scene stealer as Aunt Helene, able to garner a hearty laugh with a simple facial expression. Someone so brutal and uncaring shouldn’t be so enthralling but Guadagni manages to be so. Her backstory also provides the character with some slight sympathy and an explanation for how she came to be that way. Mark O’Brien spends most of the film unconvincingly playing the groom who plans to save his damsel in distress from his crazy family, but as his character arc plays out onscreen, the character becomes more compelling and has a lot more to say about the nature of wealthy people and men in general, benefiting the perception of O’Brien’s performance.
Ready or Not will cause you to double over to the edge of your seat in laughter, then freeze you in that very spot as it turns on a dime toward a moment of tension and suspense. This masterful balancing act makes the film an engaging watch throughout that bear hugs your attention and never releases it, resulting in the surprise hit of 2019. The ensemble cast fits together like a glove, with Samara Weaving sure to make a great impression upon audiences, many of whom will be seeing her for the first time, and Adam Brody and Nicky Guadagni providing their own flair in supporting roles. Both the film’s writers and directors succeed in making a film that offers great satire of our modern era that can provoke thought while offering substantial entertainment value that can be enjoyed even without applying the satirical lens. Ready or Not is a fun time at the theater and a thought provoking look at the world with the potential to become a cult favorite.
Image: Fox Searchlight
