A good horror movie, Ready or Not, is not. Nor is it a good comedy, dark comedy, torture film, indie flick or any other genre you can think of. It’s simply a bad film.
And yes I get it, there wasn’t much depth to begin with considering it’s a horror film based upon a kids game, hide-and-seek, with a new bride entering a family with some sort of sick history of hunting the wife on her wedding day. But when you put a Margot Robie look-a-like (Samara Weaving) in a bloody brides dress holding a shot-gun in the trailer hunting the new in-laws that are hunting her… you’ve peaked my interest.
However, despite the potentially amusing plot of playing hide-and-seek with axes and revolvers the execution of the seekers storming around a 19th century English mansion with archaic weapons quickly became an extremely dull and disappointing experience.
There’s nothing smart, nor creative or captivating. I believe it’s meant to come off as a dark comedy with corky family members but all fall into sad caricatures of something that is supposed to be funny but have little depth provided by the directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and showmanship demonstrated by a cast of fairly known but forgettable actors.
We don’t care about anyone outside of the bride and even then she’s just okay.
There’s a drug-addicted sister, that ends up killing the help accidently. Her overweight husband who goggles how to use a crossbow, and privately talks him self up as a man cabable of murder… boring.
The patriarch of the family is whinny and dismissive and the only true named actor, Andie MacDowell, the matriarch of the family is god awful in her role. I mean can she actually say a line without squinting? What is that? Is that supposed to be good acting? It’s like she was staring into the sun every time she looked at someone.
I will admit the ending had it’s moments but the chase and anticipation is simply dumb with the filmmakers lacking any continuity to their characters, bringing in new rules of conduct as the film begins to go off the hinges and even elevating a minor character to elevated prominence without having any real background or depth to this character.
The first time we see him he’s making tea half way through the film and now he’s the main antagonist? What is that? A stupid plot device to give the film more action… Dark Comedy? I don’t know.
But what I do know is that some children’s games belong on the school yard and not a Cineplex.
Vic's Flick Picks 