I’d originally planned to do a review of a different film (technically four actually), but since I haven’t been able to find them on-demand just yet you’ll have to settle for something different. I won’t say what I plan to review just in case I actually manage to make it happen within the next few weeks.

Sunday night I was scrolling through the movie options on Hulu when I stumbled across 2019’s “Ready or Not.” I’d first watched this movie in the summer of 2020 on a whim and I enjoyed it.

Now after rewatching it, I can say with certainty that I still do.

“Ready or Not” is a comedy horror film written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. (Side note: I thought this movie was written/directed by a woman … I don’t know why or how to explain it, I’d just gotten that impression.)

The movie stars Samara Weaving as Grace, a newlywed who finds herself in the midst of a deadly game of hide and seek with her in-laws just hours after she said ‘I do’ to her husband Alex (Mark O’Brien).

Unbeknownst to Grace, the family she’s chosen to marry into — the Le Domases — are basically devil worshippers. Long ago, when their ancestors were starting out their board game empire, a relative made a deal with “Mr. Le Bail” that would ensure his success. Of course there’s a price to pay for success, and each time a member of the family is married their significant other must pick a game to play. Most of the games are harmless. All except Hide and Seek.

This game comes with the chance of being maimed and sacrificed after being found.

So, Grace spends the night after her wedding running from her in-laws as they attempt to hunt her down and sacrifice her to Mr. Le Bail.

Although Weaving is the clear star of this show, the ensemble cast does good work of holding her up. You’ve Alex’s alcoholic brother Daniel (Adam Brody) and his cocaine addicted sister Emilie (Melanie Scrofano); parents Tony (Henry Czerny) and Becky (Andie MacDowell); Fitch Bradley (Kristian Brunn) Emilie’s husband and Charity (Elyse Levesque) Daniel’s gold digging wife. And we can’t forget about crazy Aunt Helene (Nicky Guadagni) who gives everyone the creeps.

“Ready or Not” is jam packed with gore and violence, but its offset with its humor. The Le Domas family is sick and twisted, but they certainly can make you laugh. My favorite scene personally is when Emilie (Scrofano is truly one of my favorite actresses) does coke and hypes herself up in a mirror after accidentally shooting a maid in the face thinking she was Grace.

In a movie where a rich family is hunting a person for sport, you’d expect them to be truly sinister and tricky. This movie makes the choice to show them just as they are — human. They may dress themselves up in fine clothing, sparkling jewelry and spend money like they’re gods. But they aren’t.

And Grace comes onto the scene to remind them of this … although it takes her a bit to gain her footing through the film. Who can blame her though? She expected to marry into a rich family, not a rich family of satanists.

By the end of the movie, we see Grace go from somewhat of a confused, damsel-in-distress to a somber, jaded woman who learned what monster-in-laws truly are.

“Ready or Not” is one of my favorite dark comedies. It grossed $58.7 million worldwide against a $6 million budget and has some pretty decent ratings on Rotten Tomatoes (88%) and 7.2/10 on Imdb.

If you like some hilarity with your gore I would recommend watching “Ready or Not.” It may not technically be slasher/horror season (in my book it is) but everyone can enjoy a bit of humor anytime.

“Ready or Not” is rated R — for good reason — and may be viewed on Hulu, Sling TV, Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Prime and FXNow.

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Laura Jameson is managing editor of The Express.