Taglines: The Game Begins.
Opening in the year 1989, inside the Le Domas mansion, siblings Daniel (Etienne Kellici) and Alex (Chase Churchill) are running around while being followed by a man. Daniel hides Alex in a closet before he is approached by the man, Charles (Andrew Anthony), the new husband of the boys’ Aunt Helene (Elana Dunkelman). Charles pleads with Daniel to help him, as he has just been wounded and is being hunted. Instead, Daniel alerts the rest of his family to Charles’s presence. Helene tries to save her husband, but the family drags Charles into a room to his grisly fate.
30 years later
Alex (now played by Mark O’Brien) is getting married to a woman named Grace (Samara Weaving). She is nervous but eager to join his family’s gaming “dominion”, which is how they came about their enormous wealth. The couple go for a photo-shoot prior to the ceremony, along with other members of Alex’s family. Daniel (now played by Adam Brody) is joined by his wife Charity (Elyse Levesque), who is open about the fact that she only married Daniel for his family’s money. Their father Tony (Henry Czerny) is visibly disapproving of Grace, but not nearly as much as Helene (now played by Nicky Guadagni), who shoots Grace a death glare. More approving is Alex and Daniel’s mother Becky (Andie MacDowell), who tells Grace that only Alex’s opinion matters. Moments later, everyone gathers for the ceremony, and Grace and Alex are married.
Later, Grace and Alex are trying to get intimate, but they are interrupted by Helene, who reminds Alex that he needs to join the family for something. Alex then explains to Grace that as per tradition with every new addition to the Le Domas family, she has to join the family for a game at midnight.
Grace and Alex reconvene with the family, who are now joined by Alex and Daniel’s coke-head sister Emilie (Melanie Scrofano), her husband Fitch Bradley (Kristian Bruun), and their sons Georgie (Liam MacDonald) and Gabe (Ethan Tavares). Everyone gathers around a table while one of the maids, Clara (Hanneke Talbot), is reading the boys a bedtime story. Tony explains to Grace that this tradition was started by his great grandfather Victor, who made a deal with a mysterious benefactor known as Mr. Le Bail. He granted Victor and his future generations their wealth, as well as a special box, while Victor was told to give his own part in the bargain. The family passes Grace the box to draw a card from it and pick the game. Charity said she got Chess, while Fitch got Old Maid. Grace draws Hide and Seek, and the room falls silent.
Ready or Not is a 2019 American comedy horror film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. The film stars Samara Weaving as a newlywed who becomes hunted by her spouse’s family as part of their wedding night ritual. Mark O’Brien portrays her husband, with Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, and Andie MacDowell as members of his family.
Ready or Not had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 27, 2019, and was theatrically released on August 21, 2019 by Fox Searchlight Pictures. It grossed $57 million against a $6 million budget and received generally positive reviews from critics, for its blend of subversive humor and crowd-pleasing thrills.
Ready or Not (2019)
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Starring: Samara Weaving, Andie MacDowell, Mark O’Brien, Adam Brody, Nicky Guadagni, Melanie Scrofano, Kristian Bruun, Elyse Levesque, Daniela Barbosa, Hanneke Talbot, Elana Dunkelman
Screenplay by: Guy Busick, Ryan Murphy
Production Design by: Andrew M. Stearn
Cinematography by: Brett Jutkiewicz
Film Editing by: Terel Gibson
Costume Design by: Avery Plewes
Set Decoration by: Mike Leandro
Music by: Brian Tyler
MPAA Rating: R for violence, bloody images, language throughout, and some drug use.
Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date: August 21, 2019
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