2019   Fox Searchlight Pictures

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  35min

Comedy ~ Horror ~ Mystery ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

Starring:  Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien, Elyse Levesque, Nicky Guadagni, Henry Czerny, and Andie MacDowell.

“Who wants to play a game? It’s time for hide and seek. Run, run, run, time to run and hide. Tick tick tock, listen to the clock. Ready or not, here I come.”

Samara Weaving stars as Grace who grew up an orphan and is very excited to be joining the Le Domas family. She has gone with her fiancé Alex Le Domas to get married at his family’s sprawling estate. They exchange nuptials in the garden grounds surrounded by the Le Domas family, the family butler and their three maids. Afterwards Alex tells her there is a family tradition they must go through to finalize their union and her entrance into the family dominion. They must all congregate in the exclusive Le Domas family room to play a game dictated by an ancient wooden card game box. Tony le Domas, the patriarch of the family, explains to Grace how their Grandfather Victor made a deal with a man named “Le Bail” over a game of cards and lots of whiskey.

If his grandfather could figure out how to open the antique card box he had, he would finance any venture that Victor chose. Victor spent the night studying the box and finally believed he had the answer, and opened the box. “Le Bail” then, true to his word, helped Victor build a game playing card business. When Tony took over the business after his father Victor passed away, he expanded into board games and built it into a gaming empire. As part of the deal, any new member to the family must insert a blank card into the antique box at midnight and play the game that was written on the card after it was removed from the box.

Grace takes the box from Tony and draws the card. She smiles as she turns it around for the family to see and asks, “Are we really going to play Hide and Seek?” Noticing the strange expressions on everyone’s face Grace asks, “Is everything ok?” Alex, looking white as a ghost says, “Sure….Hide and seek, right Dad?” “That’s right Alex, Hide and Seek…..tradition is tradition.” He then explains to Grace that they are going to count and that she must hide until dawn. The Butler puts on a very creepy “Hide and Seek” music record complete with countdown and Grace goes deep into the creepy Victorian Mansion to hide. The family then arm themselves with all types of antique weapons and prepare for the countdown to end.

Alex wants no part of what is coming as his mother tries to console Alex that it is a necessary evil for them to kill Grace so that the family can appease “Le Bail”s Ghost, and continue to live and enjoy their fortune. As the countdown ends the heavily armed family heads out of the gaming room to hunt down Grace. Grace is trying to find a suitable hiding spot giggling how silly this is, not realizing that unless she can make it to dawn, she will be killed by the family. Offered up as a sacrifice to Le Bail in exchange for building their family and fortune. What follows is a wild, comical, horrifying, very bloody game of survival for Grace as she evades the family and tries to escape.

Samara Weaving is fantastic in this movie. She reminds me of Margot Robbie and Jamie Pressly. Like Margot, Samara is Australian and grew up in an acting family. Samara is hilarious at times as she realizes her dilemma. In one scene she is cussing at a passing car that refuses to stop to help her in a diatribe that would make Chevy Chase proud(reminds me of the speech at the end of Christmas Vacation). In another she is in the car she commandeered from the butler and turns on the Onboard Vehicle Assistance Feature and tries to explain to “Justin” that she needs his help as her life is in danger. “F*ck you Justin!” It is a hilarious exchange between the two.

I have to mention Andie MacDowell in her role as the Matriarch Becky. Definitely a different role than we are used to seeing her play. And Adam Brody as the brother in law that would rather get drunk and help Grace than help his family kill her. Nice job! It is campy, dark, bloody and well worth the watch. I came across it again a couple of nights ago, having completely forgotten about it. I had watched it when it first came out and remembered liking it.

There is a READY OR NOT 2 in the works with Samara reprising her role as Grace. The film making trio RADIO SILENCE responsible for READY OR NOT are quoted as saying, “There is a sequel in the works with an absolutely f*cking banger of a script.” I can’t wait. I am a fan of this movie and Samara Weaving and look forward to seeing Grace in action again.

Highly Recommended!

Two Thumbs Up!