MORAL OF THE MOVIE

Not everything is what it seems. Married life isn’t what it seems. Being rich isn’t what it seems. Ready or Not takes a very hyperbolic satirical approach to comment about marriage, identity, and social/class hierarchies in addition to highlighting the unsuspected “horrors” of signing up for serious commitment without knowing the full list of terms and conditions. Specifically, this movie teaches us about the dangers of basing decisions off preconceived notions that may not cover the full story such as the luxuries of marrying into a rich family that you don’t know much about.

WHO I THINK WOULD MOST ENJOY THIS MOVIE

If you like The Cabin in the Woods (2011), Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010), and other horror-comedies that don’t take themselves too seriously. In other words, if you’re looking for a good time with some fun suspense here and there, then this is the movie for you. It also helps if you’re intrigued by the combination of hide and seek with Saw (2004).

ADDITIONAL NOTES/COMMENTARY

After watching this movie, you’ll have a new reason for getting cold feet if you ever get married in the future. But seriously, this movie plays a radical spin on the fears that one might have about such a serious commitment as marriage. Ultimately, this movie plays off the idea of preconceived notions that we all have regarding certain social institutions: class and marriage. However, don’t let this serious talk make you think that this movie is all that serious because it is a wild rollercoaster ride that will make you laugh at certain events that you wouldn’t necessarily find funny in other contexts. What stands out in this movie is it’s ability to make the familiar strange. It takes a very familiar event like a wedding night and then flips it by introducing a very interesting horror-thriller dynamic. This movie has it all: suspense, comedy, action, thrills and a pinch of romance. If you suspend disbelief (ie. Don’t take the movie too seriously), then you will have a fun cinematic experience. However, it is worth noting that the movie has some deep commentary about the aforementioned social institutions as well. First and foremost, the entire story is a cautionary tale of seriously committing into a semi-realized picture. It’s essentially a critique of the modern trends of marriage and divorce as people too often commit to their partners without knowing the whole picture of what they’re getting into. In this case, it's a pretty demonic set of in-laws that make the protagonist go through hell on Earth during what is supposed to be a joyful wedding night. Second, there’s the theme of feeling like an outsider that the protagonist best embodies. She’s completely out of her element yet she fights on and never loses sight of herself. That, in itself, is a strong moral about sticking to your own ideals and what you know, especially when in unknown territory. Third and lastly, the film has a lot of relevant commentary about class and social hierarchies that is particularly pertinent nowadays. This ties into the theme of the outsider because reasoning behind our protagonist feeling like an outsider is the fact that she does not come from a social class or economic status that is remotely close to the family she’s marrying into. As such, she gets treated differently by certain members of the family depending on their affinity to the “rules” of social hierarchies. Moreover, there is a sentiment thrown around about the expendability of people from lower classes that underlie the dark humor (satire) of the film but also provide a subliminal message of the higher class’ total abuse and disregard of people of lower classes. It is truly impressive that all of these themes and commentaries are underlying the big ball of fun that this movie is, which is for the most part thanks to the clever writing and stellar direction. In the end, Ready or Not is the latest addition to the Moral of the Movie reviews of movies that seem like mindless fun, but actually have some serious commentary (in this case, commentary about marriage, one’s sense of self, and class structure/treatment) that are particularly relevant for contemporary audiences.