Funnier than most comedies and scarily thought-provoking when it needs to be, Ready or Not is a sneaky little surprise. Directed by two-thirds of the horror collective known as Radio Silence, it is the sort of movie that - given the right kind of publicity push and championed by the right critics - has the potential to become a cult classic. It certainly deserves to.
It establishes Samara Weaving not only as a scream queen for a new generation, but also a star. Like the film, her performance is a delicate high-wire act of contrasting tones - often, she is required to switch between campy horrors to straight-up comedy within seconds.
Ready or Not finds innovative ways of expressing very interesting ideas, but never at the expense of giving you a ripping good time. In that regard, it’s a lot like Jordan Peele’s Get Out - a wonderfully shot, socially relevant tongue-in-cheek thriller that is just as spirited as its star.
