Ready or Not

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's Ready or Not is the most purely entertaining horror film of 2019 — a blood-soaked class satire disguised as a home invasion thriller. Samara Weaving is a star-making revelation as Grace, a bride who discovers on her wedding night that her new in-laws' tradition involves hunting her to death in a lethal game of hide-and-seek. The Le Domas family — wealthy board game magnates who believe a Faustian bargain requires human sacrifice — are hilariously awful, and the film balances genuine scares with pitch-black comedy in a way that recalls early Peter Jackson. The final ten minutes are a masterpiece of escalating absurdity. Weaving's Grace transforms from terrified bride to blood-drenched warrior with a shotgun, and the film's commentary on wealth, entitlement, and the rituals the rich perform to justify their privilege lands with a satisfying crunch.