Ready or Not 🏹

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fabulous weekend.

Today’s movie is the black comedy horror Ready or Not—streaming on HBO Max. The film, which was one of my first-ever recommendations for this newsletter, was released in 2019 as the first horror movie released under the Disney umbrella since *checks notes* Frankenweenie. Here’s the trailer.

⏱ 30-second cut: Diabolically funny, violent and bloody, Ready or Not is a takedown of wealthy elites who’d rather die before losing their fortunes. And like Get Outand You’re Next before it, it’s so satisfying to watch—as diabolical as that is. However, it’s not sadistic. The movie is careful to spell out why the Le Domas family—who made their riches through a gaming “dominion” and maybe something darker—deserves what’s coming to them.

And while the sharp script filled with zingers and hilariously incompetent villains and smart direction certainly help, it’s Samara Weaving‘s funny, raw, and surprisingly emotional performance that elevates the movie pas…