Ready or Not

Filmmakers Matt Bertinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s movie was obviously inspired by Get Out—here substituting class for race—but its combination of horror, dark comedy, and social commentary is nowhere near as deftly handled as it was in Jordan Peele’s 2017 surprise smash. The goofy story revolves around the wedding of Grace (Samara Weaving), a young woman brought up in a foster home, to clean-cut Alex (Mark O’Brien), scion of a well-to-do family whose fortune was founded on board games. After the wedding at the opulent family estate, Sarah is informed that to be fully accepted into the clan, she must win a randomly chosen game—a tradition that, if left unfulfilled, would bring destruction to the entire family. Unfortunately, the test turns out to be a gruesome game of hide-and-seek that requires Sarah to survive the night while her new relatives, aided by their devoted butler, try to kill her. Sarah has some potential allies—including Alex and his dissolute brother Daniel (Adam Brody)—while the others are egged on by their fanatical aunt (Nicky Guadagni). So begins the long night’s journey into day, a cats-and-mouse pursuit in which many will die. Playing like a parody of creaky old melodramas, Ready or Not is initially an efficient genre piece, but the movie runs out of gas as the ridiculous twists and turns pile up en route to a drawn-out finale and a limp punchline. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by the film collective Radio Silence and star Samara Weaving, a “Let the Games Begin” making-of featurette (43 min.), a gag reel (4 min.), and two image galleries (2 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing horror satire.] (F. Swietek)