Day 28: Ready or Not - A Bloody Good Time.
Ready or Not, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, is a wild 2019 comedy horror that stars Samara Weaving as a woman who marries into a rich but not-so-normal family. The moment you see “comedy horror,” you already know things are about to get weird, and trust me, this one doesn’t disappoint.
I wanted to throw a lighter movie into our 31 Days of Fear lineup because, let’s be real, not everyone wants to spend October watching gut-wrenching, emotionally heavy horror films. Ready or Not is bloody, chaotic, and hilarious in all the right ways. Despite all the mayhem, it’s the kind of film you can throw on with friends, kick back, and just have a great time. It’s sharp, well-acted, and keeps things simple without ever being boring.
The movie opens with a flashback where a young Daniel Le Domas is approached by an injured man begging for help. You’d expect any kid to be terrified in that situation, but instead of helping, Daniel calls out to his family. Moments later, they appear dressed in strange ceremonial cloaks and shoot the man with arrows before dragging his body away. I’m not going to break down the entire plot, but I had to mention this opening scene because it perfectly sets the tone for what’s to come, showing just how twisted and unsettling the Le Domas family really is.
Our main character, Grace, is at the grand Le Domas estate to marry Alex, one of the family’s sons. Alex is the younger brother of Daniel and has been keeping his distance from the family for years because of their bizarre traditions. What traditions, you ask? Oh, nothing too wild. Just a little light fun like playing “games” with every new family member, sacrificing goats to appease a supernatural entity, and possibly dying if they don’t complete their rituals. You know, totally normal family stuff!
Things kick off fast, throwing Grace right into the chaos before she can even process what’s happening. She quickly learns that she hasn’t married into a rich and glamorous family at all. Instead, she’s become their next human sacrifice. The Le Domas clan believes they must kill her to keep their wealth and success. It’s a darkly funny take on the idea of selling your soul, and at first, it almost feels like a metaphor. But nope, this wild, rich family actually made a deal with the devil—or rather with a mysterious figure known as Mr. Le Bail. Well, technically their great-great-grandfather did, but clearly the tradition stuck.
From that point on, Grace does everything she can to survive until dawn. What unfolds is a fast-paced blend of blood, violence, and dark humor as the family hunts her through the mansion. By sunrise, Grace is the only one left standing while the Le Domas family literally bursts apart in a mess of blood and guts, including her husband Alex, who spends most of the film pretending he’s not like the rest when he clearly is. The only person who genuinely cared for Grace was Daniel, and though his death was tragic, his final act of defiance helped her make it to morning.
Samara Weaving absolutely shines here, perfectly capturing fear, fury, and raw disbelief. You can feel every ounce of her frustration as she claws her way through this nightmare. Some of the supporting performances lean a little too goofy at times, but it works within the film’s over-the-top tone and adds to its absurd sense of fun. Ready or Not ends with Grace stepping out of the burning mansion in her shredded, blood-soaked wedding dress, cigarette in hand. A perfect final image that’s equal parts cathartic and darkly hilarious.
Ready or Not is the kind of horror-comedy that delivers fun, gore, and laughs in equal measure, and it’s no wonder it still hits hard. Plus, there’s more to look forward to, the sequel titled Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is set to arrive in theaters on April 10, 2026. Trailer for the first film is just below. Go ahead and relive the madness before you catch the next round.