#PopCultureResolution - Ready or Not

Ready or Not

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Length: 95 minutes

Cast: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien

Release Date: August 21, 2019

Synopsis: After the wedding ceremony of a young woman, her new in-laws force her to participate in a seemingly innocent game. Things soon turn bloody and sinister, revealing the sick rituals of the family.

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Hide and Seek is a game many of us played as a kid. It reminds us of childhood and innocent fun. My August pick takes this notion and twists it in to something darker and darkly funny.

It should be one of the happiest days of Grace's life. She is marrying the man she loves and it is happening at his amazing family home. A simple request of a family game night after thr wedding seems innocent enough (if a little ill timed) and it is a tradition. Her wedding night plans turn into some much more sinister when the game that is chosen is hide and seek.

The movie is surprisingly fun. It definitely veers on the more fun side of the horror genre. There are plenty of laughs but also plenty of horror movie staples. Those looking for jump scares and blood will find those but it also feels surprisingly light for what is happening.

The ending does land on the ridiculous side but everything prior to that was perfect toneally. It also offers a few twists that you kind of see coming but the movie remains enjoyable. It may come across as a little silly but it is part of its charm. The family's connections to games is used cleverly in the plot and makes the tone feel all the more playful.

If you want your horror a little lighter in tone but still want it to pack that horror punch I think this is a good one. If feels like it would appeal to those with only a casual interest in the genre. To answer the question I always end these off with - it isn't too scary, and it's tone mostly prevents that but I predict it will make you plenty mad because you really hate some of the characters.