Ready or Not: It’s time to declare Samara Weaving an official Scream Queen

The buzz for Ready or Not started soon after its world premiere at Fantasia in July. It was released last week, does it live up to the hype?

The answer is a resounding, “Hell, yeah!” Ready or Not is darkly funny, bloody, and suspenseful. It is officially one of my favorite horror films of 2019. Not only that, Samara Weaving is my newly anointed Scream Queen thanks to her no-holds-barred performance.

Weaving’s Grace is marrying her true love, Alex (played by Mark O’Brien). Alex is a member of the very wealthy Le Domas family, who made their fortune in board games. Grace is no gold digger, though. She genuinely loves Alex and wants him to reunite with his family. The little we get of her back story tells us that she was in the foster care system as a child, she longs for a family of her own.

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The wedding is held at the Le Domas family estate. We get a little peek at a few of Alex’s family members. Brother Daniel (Adam Brody) is a heavy drinker who hits on the bride.

Alex’s mom, Becky (Andi McDowell) is warm, welcoming and seems actually to like Grace. Aunt Helene (Nicky Guadagni) is a frighteningly stone-faced and sinister-looking woman. Hyper sister Emilie shows up with white powder under her nose. You know, just your typical family.

On their wedding night, according to Le Domas tradition,  Alex reluctantly convinces Grace that they must join the rest of the family to play a game. A blank playing card is placed in a mysterious box. Grace is instructed to open the box and read what is written on the card. Grace’s card reads Hide And Seek, and judging by the expressions on their faces, the family wasn’t expecting this.

Weaver also delivered a bonkers performance in Netflix Original The Babysitter and Shudder Exclusive Mayhem. She clearly likes to take on interesting roles! She is charming, funny, and not afraid to be covered in blood for extended periods of time.

Her next two films are Guns Akimbo (which looks to be another crazy, action-packed film) and the highly anticipated Bill and Ted Face the Music. Lookup a photo of Weaving in Guns Akimbo, her eyebrows are bleached out, and she wears silver fangs.

I know it is super-expensive to see a movie in a theater these days, and it’s tempting to wait until they hit streaming services or DVD. But, Ready or Not is worth the ticket price. I recommend seeing it on the big screen so you can experience the joyous mayhem up close.

Have you seen Ready or Not? Do you think it lived up to the hype? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

Ready or Not is currently playing in theaters nationwide.