Review: Ready or Not (2019)

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writer: Guy Busick, Ryan Murphy
Stars: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien

Horror films are not my thing. Never have been, never will be. But dark humour-horror films? Give me all of them.

In a style that is eerily reminiscent of the 2011 cult classic Cabin in the Woods, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have directed my favourite horror film since A Quiet Place.

Whilst Ready or Not has far more comedy in it than I anticipated going in (I think I saw one trailer and had completely forgotten it by the time I sat in my seat), more often than not the comedy hits home. The writing is genuinely funny and the acting/directing is well-timed to deliver. With that being said the comedic elements never feel like they overstay their welcome. Instead these moments serve to provide levity to what is otherwise a very thrilling and suspenseful movie, which sees main character Grace (Portrayed perfectly by Samara Weaving) attempt to survive a night-long game of Hide and Seek with her murderous in-laws.

The acting across the board is pretty great, with a rich cast of characters who are all portrayed near perfectly. Sure only a small handful of the relatively large cast of characters have any kind of development over the story. But the film is only an hour and a half long, and whilst development may, for the most part, be limited the ability for characters to stand out and for each to have a unique personality is certainly prevalent. Adam Brody plays the regretful son incredibly well, Melanie Scrofano the jittery sister and Nicky Guadagni the psychotic aunt to name but a few. However, it is Samara Weaving who is the standout of the film, with her putting in a superb performance throughout.

The gore is over the top, but in a good way. The movie doesn’t take itself seriously, and I think that if it had it would have failed. So seeing a woman with her face half blown off, and it being played for laughs, suits the movie perfectly.

The story is far from unique, and I would be shocked if the writers took no inspiration from the aforementioned Cabin in the Woods, however it is the execution of this movie that will make it stand out in the long run. Here’s to what I’m hoping will be regarded as another cult favourite in the years to come. With that being said, don’t go into this movie expecting the next A Quiet Place in terms of horror-delivery, but a sleeper hit I think it shall be nonetheless.

Final Score: 8/10 Porgs

Top 5 Films of 2018 So Far

We’re halfway through 2018 and that seems like more than a good enough excuse to look back over the year so far and pick out our favourite big screen movies.

If you ask us again in another six months time not only will the placing of some of these films in the Top 5 have been swapped (Because some of them are too close to call), but I have no doubt that some will have dropped off the list entirely. So with that in mind, remember that this is only opinions and that things will change.

Number 5: The Incredibles 2
The-Incredibles-2-release-date
Whilst it never quite hit the heights of the first film, the hotly-anticipated sequel was certainly worth the wait. Hitting all the right tones of family, classic superhero action, comedy and emotion The Incredibles 2 was a welcome film in what is very much a saturated Superhero market.

Number 4: Deadpool 2
Deadpool_2_FC_670x250px
Another sequel that perhaps didn’t live up to the hype of the first film, but by no means should you let that detract from the fact that this is a great movie with or without the first installment. Like The Incredibles 2, Deadpool 2 brings something new to the superhero genre and that’s probably why I rank it above the likes of Black Panther which I opted to leave out of my Top 5.

Number 3: Love, Simon

A very different kind of film now compared to the first two in the list and one that I think went highly underrated during its run in cinemas. Love, Simon is a film about diversity when approached in the right way and from the acting, to the directing and storytelling it deserves all the plaudits in the world.

Number 2: Avengers: Infinity War

If I’m being completely honest the top 2 were pretty interchangeable for me, they are both marvels of cinematic mastery. Avengers: Infinity War is nearly 20 films worth of cinema all culminating in one fantastic big-screen adventure. Nothing can be taken away from what the Russo Brothers have achieved and this will without a doubt be one of those films which is talked about in a few decades time by students at University. Balancing over 60 characters whilst delivering a comprehensible and well balanced superhero film that not only felt different, but the same for all the right reasons. Featuring one of the best movie villains for years and action set-pieces which rival some of the best, Infinity War is an outstanding piece of cinema and will without a doubt be in the Top 5 at the end of the year. But despite all that, I think there’s one film which did something just that little bit more special…

Number 1: A Quiet Place

John Krasinkski’s passion project is a simple piece of cinematic perfection and history. Whereas Infinity War deserves to be upheld for decades to come, it would be an actual injustice to the film industry if A Quiet Place isn’t. This film needs to be up for every Oscar imaginable come Award Season, and here at WeAreNiche we will be fighting that corner. John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe are all oustanding in this film, and the wonder which is achieved through the sound editing and mixing is like something never before seen in the film industry. This is the epitome of horror films and I think it will be a long time before something knocks it off its perch (Maybe the sequel?…). I struggle to see anything besting this film over the course of 2018, but hey that’s not a bad thing.

So what did you think of our list? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting us @weareniche and let us know which films would make it into your top 5. Perhaps you’d opt for Black Panther? Or maybe you were one of those people who really enjoyed Solo: A Star Wars Story, let us know.

Review: Ocean’s 8

Director: Gary Ross
Writers: Gary Ross and Olivia Milch
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway

As someone who wasn’t a massive fan of the first Ocean’s trilogy I feel safe in saying that I wasn’t going into this one with great expectations. Whilst this film didn’t soar past my expectations, I certainly enjoyed more than I did the original trilogy.

There’s certainly no doubting the ability of the cast at hand. Even outriders such as Rihanna have a solid showing in this movie, with no one really under-delivering. But equally only Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter deliver in any meaningful way. Even the supposed star of the movie, Sandra Bullock, feels as though she’s reigning in her performance at times, with only brief glimpses of the really strong performances we know she can give gleaming through.

Continue reading “Review: Ocean’s 8” →

The Importance of Maisie Lockwood

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is now out in cinema’s and after seeing the movie I believe there’s one key character who might just prove to be the most important person in the entire franchise.

bts21

Warning: The following article will feature heavy spoilers for Fallen Kingdom, so if you haven’t already make sure you go and see it before coming back to read this opinion piece.

Continue reading “The Importance of Maisie Lockwood” →