Ready or Not: marrying into a rich family isn’t an option
Image Source, Searchlight UK/Youtube (screenshot)
Marrying your partner should be one of the happiest moments of your life. Something Grace (Samara Weaving) from Ready or Not (2019) wasn't lucky enough to experience.
A young bride, Grace joins her new husband, Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), and his wealthy, eccentric family in a game of hide-and-seek. As her in-laws try to find her before dawn, Grace realises the Le Domas family intends to hunt her down and kill her. She must fight to survive.
Ready or Not does not intend to make you feel sympathy for anyone. In this film, we don't have teenagers. Our protagonists are experienced killers who disguise their bloodlust with a convenient family myth.
Grace Le Domas: the Final Girl we all love
The famous Final Girl trope changes drastically here. We don't meet a quiet, reserved, virgin girl who survived because she was the epitome of good morals and perfection. Grace is outspoken, witty and vulgar, unafraid to smoke, curse and discuss sex with her fiancé.
The Good For Her trope is also present. We take pleasure in Grace's revenge, leaving Le Domas's house after dawn, drenched in blood and smoking. Grace doesn't just defend herself but uses violence to stop the family. She survives the attacks, taking revenge on her husband and his family and becoming beloved by the public.
Eat the rich: social analysis
Ready or Not is a bloody and entertaining satire of the rich and their drive to maintain power. If we analyse the plot, we learn how dangerous status and wealth are in the hands of certain groups.
The family's privileges are evident. They only look out for their own selfish interests. Within their household, they do not see their domestic workers as human beings but as pieces to use to their advantage. When they die (in this case, accidentally killed), they are treated as a nuisance to be dealt with.
The Le Domas family lost empathy and compassion over the years. After a dark pact with the mysterious Mr Le Bail, everything changed.
Fun fact; Le Bail is an anagram of Belial, which refers to the "devil".
This devil-worshipping family sees everyone else, including Grace, as a pawn. To them, she is a mere sacrifice that will allow them to maintain their abundant wealth.
Like Grace, the employees of the Le Domas household and the new members of the family are mere playthings for their rich-people games.
The bloodiest wedding: how costumes show character arcs
Throughout the film, we see Grace's transformation both physically and mentally. The character's growth mirrors in her attire.
In the beginning, Grace tears her dress, symbolising how she destroys the illusion of being in the Le Domas family. She goes from wearing her elegant heels to kers, showing that she is no longer just a bride but a fighter. The whiteness (Grace's innocence) of her dress disappears with each death, leaving her dressed in black. In the end, this deterioration traces Grace's gradual dawning that she wants a loving family. She ends up mourning the death of her dream.
The perfect balance: when gore and comedy meet
Ready or Not is as comical as it is bloody and gory, and the film offers a good combination of laughs and brutal violence.
We have sadistic characters who kill to stay in power, but each is unique. We have a sister who does nothing right and screws everything up, a heartless grandmother, and a sweet mother who won't hesitate to blow your head off.
As a fan of both genres, I can say that this movie hit the mark. You only need to watch the final scene to realise that even after torture and murder, the jokes never stop. Ready or Not gives a new meaning to "impress your future in-laws".
If you feel like watching a comedy horror movie that is not afraid of blood and inhuman screams, Ready or Not is the best choice.
by Vania Vela
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