To win is life and to lose is death - Ready Or Not film review

There is a noticeable pattern of creative people venting out all their weird thoughts that is too heavy to carry. 'Ready or Not' is a film about a family that takes its game seriously. innocuous right? Not really.

Grace (Samara Weavings), an orphan raised by foster parents is all excited by the prospect of having a family of her own, by marrying Alex (Mark O'Brien) - the heir apparent of the 'La Domas' gaming giant family. Grace's life takes a toss due to her in-laws' creepy wedding night tradition. Does she prevail or perish is what this neatly packaged 98-minute film is all about.

The plot doesn't take much time to reveal itself. Every character in the 'La Domas' family acts like a normal family while consistently hinting that all these are specious, they do it perfectly well.

Samara Weavings like her character name Grace shows flawless grace in her variations throughout the movie. She outscores all the other characters as they are fully developed and she and Mark O'Brien alone evolve.

O'Brien is that typical newlywed who has to choose between his wife and family, only the context is different. The film subtly touches a marriage moral that a husband will waste away if he leaves his wife in lurch.

This movie was released in India exactly a week after 'IT- chapter 2' which was panned by critics for its dispassionate making. 'Ready or not' doesn't tarry at all with suspension of disbelief as there isn't much metaphysics except for the climax.

The movie essentially swings to and fro of the sane and the insane part of every individual. How indecipherable the human brain and its workings are, is displayed in a hopelessly beautiful manner. The simple fact that what may be normal to one is weird to another is geniously exploited.

Camera work needs a shoutout for freeing itself from the manual of good cinematography to suit the plot. There are plenty of shots where the angle is always jittery for a spine chilling watch.

The comical side of this movie is the belief that the family clings onto is so absurd to be taken seriously by the audience. This aspect would have turned against the movie like it did to 'IT- Chapter 2' if not for such stellar performances, though it is a far cry from making us believe, we will start respecting the weird world of the 'La Domas' family.

Without any big names and with its gripping narration and a terse screenplay 'Ready Or Not' proves to be a best bet for the weekend.