Fox Searchlight has released the first trailer forReady or Not. This looks to be a pretty interesting take on the horror genre. The filmmakers have decided to take a children’s game, in the form of hide and seek, and turn it into a very deadly situation that boils down to kill or be killed.
The trailer kicks off with a seemingly perfect and (mostly) picturesque wedding. We see that the young woman at the center of this bloody tale is marrying into a rather wealthy family. As part of a ritualistic right of passage to become part of the family, she must playa game of hide and seekwith a horrifying twist. Instead of simply being found, everyone who finds her will try and kill her. With that, things devolve into a murder-filled romp, with something of an unexpected, possibly supernatural twist. Outside of the violence, there are some moments of pitch-black humor thrown in for good measure.
There are certainly someCluevibes going on here. It also seems to be taking cues from Adam Wingard’s very underratedYou’re Next. Additionally, this looks to be cashing in on the odd subgenre of horror that is emerging, which simply revolves around turning familiar games into horrific scenarios. Similar movies that have emerged in recent years include 2018’sTruth or Dareand this year’sEscape Room. Both of those movies, for what it’s worth, did very well at thebox office, when compared to their small budgets, regardless of what critics seemed to think. At first glance though,Ready or Notdoes appear to have a certain quality to it that something likeTruth or Dareseemed to be lacking.
The cast is headlined bySamara Weaving, who previously starred inMayhemand was recently cast inBill and Ted Face the Music. The story centers on a young bride as she joins her new husband’s rich, eccentric family in an old tradition that turns into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their lives. The ensemble cast also includes Adam Brody (The O.C.), Mark O’Brien (The Darkest Minds), Henry Czerny (Mission: Impossible) and Andie MacDowell (Four Weddings and a Funeral). In addition to the trailer, we’ve also included a newly released poster for the horror flick for you to check out below.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Tyler Gillett co-directed the movie, working from a screenplay by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. Interestingly enough, sinceDisneycompleted their merger with Fox back in March, this is technically going to count as a Disney release, and certainly isn’t the kind of thing they would normally do. Though, to be fair, this is a project they inherited, not one the brass at the Mouse House cooked up.Ready or Notis set to arrive in theaters on August 23. Be sure to check out the trailer from theFoxSearchlight YouTubechannel for yourself.
