From directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and writer Guy Busick, comes the wickedly delightful black comedy Ready Or Not. The film follows an innocent, newly married woman who finds herself entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse with her “in-laws from hell.”

The movie opens with a wounded young man desperately seeking help from two boys inside a grand mansion. He tells them he is being targeted for death. One of the boys alerts his family, indicating that their target is present. The entire family arrives, dressed in robes and masks, and the man is brutally murdered.

Fast forward thirty years, and newlyweds Grace (Samara Weaving) and Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien) are visiting the mansion where Grace meets Alex’s immensely wealthy family.

The Le Domas family is a collection of memorable characters. There’s Daniel (Adam Brody), Alex’s alcoholic brother, and Emily (Melanie Scrofano), his drug-addicted sister. The patriarch, Tony (Henry Czerny), appears to be a distinguished figure, while Becky (Andie MacDowell) is his affable wife who seems to like Grace. Charity (Elyse Levesque) is Daniel’s gold-digging wife, along with her goofy husband Finch and their two young children. One standout character is Helene (Nicky Guadagni), Adam’s devilish-looking aunt whose personality matches her appearance. Adam warns Grace early on that his family is maniacal, which she initially takes as a harmless metaphor.

The family also includes a trusted maid and butler. They celebrate Adam and Grace’s arrival with a lavish wedding ceremony, which then moves to one of the mansion’s rooms. Grace is informed that she must participate in a game as part of the family tradition, unaware of what she’s truly signed up for.

The seemingly innocent game of hide and seek quickly turns into a deadly survival challenge for Grace, as the entire Le Domas family hunts her before dawn in an attempt to break an old curse.

The game evolves into a cat-and-mouse chase between Grace and the Le Domas family. Fortunately for Grace, many of her pursuers are bumbling klutzes and end up accidentally killing their own. Predictably, Grace turns the tables and becomes the aggressor. The movie features grisly yet darkly humorous violence, with trust becoming a rare commodity as friends turn against each other.

While much of the film’s plot is predictable, its humor, strong performances, and well-executed, intense scenes maintain the viewer’s interest. Samara Weaving’s portrayal of Grace is especially noteworthy, as she skillfully transitions from an innocent bride to a survivalist and finally to a determined fighter. The screenplay is well-crafted, and the eerie mansion, the film’s central setting, is effectively presented.

One remarkable aspect of the movie is the wedding dress, which changes colors throughout the story. In an interview with Variety magazine, costume designer Avery Plewes explained how she gave the dress a character of its own.

Overall, Ready Or Not is an enjoyable watch for fans of horror and dark comedies