“There’s just one more thing, and then you are officially part of the family. So at midnight you have to play a game… It’s just something we do when someone new joins the family.” – Ready Or Not (2019)
You’re Next is an American horror/thriller. It was released on 10th September 2011. Adam Wingard is the director and editor of this film. Simon Barrett has penned the story. This movie is about a large family who are having a family reunion at their vacation home. While there, they get viciously attacked by a group of murderers wearing animal masks. The runtime of this film is 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Some important cast members include Sharni Vinson as Erin, Nicholas Tucci as Felix Davison, Wendy Glenn as Zee, A. J. Bowen as Crispin Davison, Joe Swanberg as Drake Davison, Amy Seimetz as Aimee Davison, Rob Moran as Paul Davison, and Barbara Crampton as Aubrey Davison.
Ready Or Not was released on 27th July 2019. It is an American black comedy horror/thriller. The film is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. It is written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. The plot is about a newlywed young woman whose in-laws are trying to “hunt” and kill her in a deadly game of hide and seek – a “sport” for their wedding night ritual. This movie is also 1 hour and 35 minutes
Important cast members include Samara Weaving as Grace Le Domas, Mark O’Brien as Alex Le Domas, Adam Brody as Daniel Le Domas, Henry Czerny as Tony Le Domas, Andie MacDowell as Becky Le Domas, Melanie Scrofano as Emilie Le Domas, Kristian Bruun as Fitch Bradley, Elyse Levesque as Charity Le Domas, Nicky Guadagni as Helene Le Domas, and Andrew Anthony as Charles.
Plot (You’re Next vs. Ready Or Not)
You’re Next (2011) is a gory horror flick with sudden twists, accompanied by dark comedy. The Davisons are an upper-class, wealthy family. However, they are estranged from each other. To mend their strained family relationships, Aubrey and Paul Davison plan celebrating their wedding anniversary with all four children and their partners at their weekend estate. Erin is the girlfriend of one of the sons. The happy family mood suddenly (and violently) changes when one of them gets attacked by an assailant with a crossbow. Unbeknownst to everyone however, Erin is a trained fighter. She gets the better of the masked, murderous intruders at her boyfriend’s family estate. She also discovers who the killers are and the motivation behind their actions. The pace and suspense accelerate in the second half of the movie, as do the twists. There are several violent deaths in the film.
Ready Or Not (2019) is one of the most entertaining movies of that year. It is crafted excellently, with cheeky performances. Besides, it is a bonkers a and bloody movie, with several funny moments in between. After Grace and Alex’s wedding, the latter’s family forces Grace to participate in a game that is a part of their ‘family tradition.’ Every new addition to the family needs to play a game at midnight. The game is decided by picking a card. Grace, unfortunately, picks the one bad card from Le Bail’s puzzle box, which is the ‘hide and seek’ card. Following it, the happy atmosphere changes, everything turns tipsy-turvy into bloody mayhem. The ending is especially over-the-top and cathartic.
Comparisons (‘You’re Next’ and ‘Ready Or Not’)
Ready Or Not gives a kick of high adrenaline rush. The script, screenplay, and direction are pitch-perfect, filled with suspense, fear, and unexpected comedy. Compared to You’re Next, in all these aspects this movie is a better fare. The story will keep the viewers hooked till the end to discover what happens to Grace. It has well-sketched characters who escalate the impact of the plot.
You’re Next is a mix of frank brutality with black humor. It might make the audience stick to the end. However, this film has gained less popularity and applause than Ready Or Not. There are some scenes with poor comic timing and the actors sometimes fail to convince with their presence in the movie. Unlike the characters of Ready Or Not, You’re Next has fewer roles whose performance is worth mentioning. It’s real impact, however, lies in how it brandished and ushered in a new kind of action/horror/black comedy. It also predates Ready Or Not, which acts as a superior update on the You’re Next template.
Both films are almost identical concerning certain elements.
In both the films, there is a family gathering of wealthy, entitled people in a big mansion where the killings happen. Moreover, members of the family themselves plan these murders. In Ready or Not, the family members plan to sacrifice Grace to a family ritual. In You’re Next, inheritance is the reason why the planned murders happened. The two films highlight one rebellious and witty female protagonist who has just recently become a part of their new family.
They kill the murderers, survive till the end, and the police arrive at both the end scenes. Everyone dies except the two women who can almost single-handedly deal with all the slayers. There is also the theme of lover’s betrayal in both movies. The nice, lovable men the protagonists are romantically involved with turn out to be evil and manipulative. They get their comeuppance. The female lead in Ready Or Not is slightly more captivating and realistic to behold than You’re Next.
Conclusion
Someone who enjoys the You’re Next brand of family horrorshow is likely to appreciate Ready Or Not even more. The latter is a more advanced spiritual successor that creatively builds on the former. These movies are all about surviving multiple psychopathic murderers as well as fighting back for survival. Both the movies have terrible family members and gruesome killings with unique, improvised weapons. Compared to You’re Next, Ready or Not has more violence and bloodshed, but the gore has a greater in-your-face quality in You’re Next. Moreover, the animal masks add to the latter’s nastiness in a good way. Either film makes for a good watch for sure, but Ready Or Not has something more substantial to offer than You’re Next. The wit is more acerbic, the ‘romance’ more toxic. Which makes the family’s entitled villainy and prejudice even more caustic.
