A bride's wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game with lethal consequences. Check out Ralph Potts’ Blu-ray review of Ready or Not from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )

Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )

91
Details:

Studio and Year: 20th Century Fox - 2019
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 95 minutes
Genre: Horror/Comedy

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC
Video Aspect: 2.39:1
Resolution: 1080p/24

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, Spanish/French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Starring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O/Brien, Andie MacDowell, Henry Czerny
Directed by: Matt Bentinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Music by: Brian Tyler
Written by: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy
Region Code: A

Release Date: December 3, 2019
"A Killer Game of Hide and Seek"
Synopsis:

“A bride's wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game with lethal consequences.” – 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.


My Take:

Grace couldn't be happier after she marries the man of her dreams at his family's luxurious estate. Unfortunately, her bliss is short lived as the sanctity of marriage goes straight to hell when she learns that she must now compete in a time-honored tradition with her new husband and his insanely rich and eccentric Le Domas family.

After drawing a card from a mysterious box, which indicates she must participate in a game of hide and seek, Grace is told that she must now hide from midnight until dawn from her new in-laws. What she isn’t told up front is that their intent is to hunt her down with guns, crossbows and other weapons. As Grace desperately tries to survive the night, she soon finds a way to turn the tables on her not-so-lovable relatives.

My son saw Ready or Not in the theater earlier this year and, said it was surprisingly good, so, as I sat down to review it my expectations were higher than they might have normally been, given the genre/source material. Well, I am happy to report that he was right. This is a rollercoaster of a movie that does a great job of handling its multi-genre-based theme/story. The plot never thickens nor does it have to. After brief introductions it gets down to business as its unfolding, darkly comedic and macabre plot expertly teeters back and forth between exploitation satire and slasher style suspense.

Most of the fun comes at the expense of the bungling archetypes that comprise the Le Domas family but, equally entertaining is watching Grace’s reaction to the switch from post-marital bliss to the unrelenting mania she now finds herself a part of. Samara Weaving absolutely nails the part of the heroine/victim who turns the tables on her new in-laws. There’s ample bloodletting, thrills and wonderfully infused but, not overplayed humor, all of which combine to make for an entertaining 90 plus minutes.

Ready or Not was a pleasant surprise that engaged my wife and I from its start, right through its pitch perfect ending.


Replay Value:
Parental Guide:

The rating is for violence, bloody images, language throughout, and some drug use.


AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:REFERENCE = 92-100/EXCELLENT = 83-91/GOOD = 74-82/AVERAGE = 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**



Audio: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


  • Dynamics: 
  • Low frequency effects: 
  • Surround Sound presentation: 
  • Clarity/Detail: 
  • Dialog Reproduction: 
  • DSU/DTS Neural:X Rating * (non-rated element): NA



Video: 92
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)



  • Resolution/Clarity: 
  • Black Level/Shadow Detail: 
  • Color Reproduction: 
  • Fleshtones:
  • Compression: 



Ready or Not comes to Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound.

High definition detail is notable as images are firmly resolved, with defining sharpness and dimensional depth. Colors are beautifully rendered with revealing delineation tonal warmth and vibrant textures. Fleshtones appear descriptive with discernible complexional variety that brings out the finest gradations in the differing complexional types among the cast. Blacks are a solid shade of deep black with excellent dynamic range and discernible highlights. Contrast is well balanced which enriches both light and dark onscreen elements.

I think this is a fairly well-designed lossless audio presentation that plays well to the film’s thematic tone. It effectively uses the entire sound field to elicit reaction to sounds emanating from differing vantage points and off-screen cues. The soundtrack’s recorded elements are enhanced by its rich clarity, and punchy dynamics. Dialogue through the center channel is crystal clear and maintains a position of prominence within the front soundstage. The rear channels contain a mixture of spatial ambience as well as directional panning cues that effectively correlate with the events transpiring onscreen. All in all, this is a solid audio/video presentation that I enjoyed.


Bonus Features:
  • • Let the Games Begin: The Making of READY OR NOT
    o Part 1: A Devil’s Bargain
    o Part 2: The Le Domas Name — A Family Brand
    o Part 3: ’Til Death Do Us Part
    • Gag Reel
    • Audio Commentary by Radio Silence and Samara Weaving
  • Digital Code
Final Thoughts:

Ready or Not is a multi-genre film that never plays down to the audience but, simply opens the door and invites you into its frenetically fun and, darkly entertaining story. It comes to Blu-ray from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring excellent technical merits and a fair supplemental offering. Ready or Not is popcorn entertainment that shouldn’t be missed. Give it a spin on Blu-ray.

 
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews


Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6-HDR Meter from  Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Electronic Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV7704 Audio/Video Processor
Emotiva XPA-7 Gen 3 Seven Channel Amplifier
Emotiva XPA-11 Gen 3 Amplifier
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and Canton In-Ceiling Series Speakers
SVS Ultra Surrounds (Gloss Finish in Bipolar Configuration)
Dual SVS PC4000 Cylinder Subwoofers
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
AC Infinity Aircom T8 Component Cooling Systems