Darkly funny with nice production values and distinctive performances, filmmaking collective Radio Silence (directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and executive producer Chad Villella) deliver a crowd-pleasing thriller with 2019’s Ready or Not. Laced with biting class satire, the film aims to entertain as well as skewer.
Wide-eyed Grace (Samara Weaving), the product of humble foster homes, is about to marry Alex (Mark O’Brien), the youngest son of a wealthy family. Feeling inadequate in the face of alien opulence, Grace’s uneasiness soon takes on a more deadly aspect when she’s forced to play a game of hide and seek where her life is on the line. Weaving is our lead, but the rest of the main cast all have well-drawn roles. Adam Brody plays Alex’s broken alcoholic older brother Daniel, Henry Czerny is the true believer patriarch Tony, family matriarch Becky is played by Andie MacDowell, hapless sister Emilie is played by Melanie Scofano, Kristian Bruun is the effete Fitch, Nicky Guadagni is the caustic Aunt Helene, Elyse Levesque is the vapid Charity, and Stevens the maliciously loyal butler is played by John Ralston.
The premise may seem fairly thin, but scripters Guy Busick and R Chrisopher Murphy (billed as “Ryan Murphy”) infuse a slightly oddball tone and clarity of purpose into their narrative. The satirical elements don’t try to be subtle, but they’re not clumsy, either. The narrative is so well structured that the point it’s trying to make feels pretty organic, even as the action and gore gets more outrageous. Despite having a somewhat large cast, character moments are emphasized, giving us clearly delineated personalities. Weaving is perfect in her role. Clever and resilient, we root for her to succeed against her rich and monstrous in-laws. Guadagni gets maybe the flashiest supporting role as a steely battle-axe wielding harridan. This isn’t exactly a laugh riot, but there’s enough humor to go around. Some of the funniest scenes are also some of the most violent.
Production design is excellent. The costumes are all beautiful, with Grace’s shredded wedding dress and Chuck Taylors presenting a cool look for our hero that stands out against the dim but warm yellows and greens at play on the screen for most of the runtime. The Le Domas mansion certainly looks every bit the home of old money. Its concealed servant passageways work to underscore thematic subtexts while also just adding to the creep factor. My favorite set, though, is probably the game room that’s adorned with custom etched doors, big game trophies, and generations of board games. All of the old-timey weapons look pretty authentic, too. The damage inflicted by said weapons is also nicely done. The gore is fairly graphic but it’s not gratuitous. As I alluded to earlier, the horror is often laced with laughs.
Radio Silence’s Ready or Not is an overachieving fun little flick. At 95 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome and it offers an uproarious climax. Samara Weaving is commanding in a role that required her to be both realistic and allegorical. Recommended for fans of awkward in-law encounters, Faustian bargains, and Richard Connell’s famous short story “The Most Dangerous Game.”
Michael Cavender