Review of "Ready or Not"
The world of short films has always been dominated by certain genres – horror being one of the more predominant, followed by violent dramas and cheap thrillers. However, when a thriller comes around that not only has excellent visuals and great pace, but also has an excellent script and story that rises the hair on your neck, it sticks with you. Ready or Not is one such film.
Written and edited by Jessica Manherz and directed by John Scar, Ready or Not tells the tale of Paige, a girl with a psychotic disorder, and her younger sister Ella. The two girls are competitive and each of them tries to get the other in trouble with their parents. Unfortunately for Ella, Paige stops taking her medication, and her true nature come forward – she becomes murderous, killing the cat and blaming it on her sister. Paige eventually kills their parents and places the blame on Ella, who is innocently holding the murder weapon when they are discovered.
Marielle Meyer plays the psychotic Paige. Her skills as an actor are visible in this film, as she portrays a character that is pitiable as well as villainous. Her range is vast, and you almost sympathize with her as she begins her journey into madness. Sarah Hazen, who plays Ella, also delivers a great performance as the victimized sister.
The film feels fresh and original though the story has doubtless been told several times over different mediums. The writing is simple, in the best possible sense – the story doesn't get over-dramatic and implausible, and the characters are not wholly evil or purely innocent. The color tone of the film also describes perfectly the darkness of the story – sticking to desaturation and contrast, highlighting the shadows, so to speak.
Credit must go to the editor, Jessica Manherz. The editing was paramount to the overall feeling that the film gives you. There are no sudden jump-scares that are universally found in thrillers, but the shots linger at times on expressions on the actors, leaving the viewer feeling disquieted and unnerved. The editing is mature and extremely well thought of. Manherz has become quite well known in the short film circuit, and has gone on to edit the feature version of Mr. Monster, a short that circulated the Cannes Film Festival in 2012.
It isn't surprising that Ready or Not did really well in the festival circuit. It has played at the New York City Horror Film Festival, AMFM Fest, Chicago Horror Film Festival, Terror Film Festival and the Eerie Horror Film Festival. The popularity of the film is completely understandable. Every facet of the development of this film has contributed enormously to making it a movie that holds it's own in festivals dedicated to movies of the same genre.
Big things can be expected from the cast and crew of Ready or Not. If you get a chance to see it in a festival near you, do seize the opportunity – I highly recommend it.
Written and edited by Jessica Manherz and directed by John Scar, Ready or Not tells the tale of Paige, a girl with a psychotic disorder, and her younger sister Ella. The two girls are competitive and each of them tries to get the other in trouble with their parents. Unfortunately for Ella, Paige stops taking her medication, and her true nature come forward – she becomes murderous, killing the cat and blaming it on her sister. Paige eventually kills their parents and places the blame on Ella, who is innocently holding the murder weapon when they are discovered.
Marielle Meyer plays the psychotic Paige. Her skills as an actor are visible in this film, as she portrays a character that is pitiable as well as villainous. Her range is vast, and you almost sympathize with her as she begins her journey into madness. Sarah Hazen, who plays Ella, also delivers a great performance as the victimized sister.
The film feels fresh and original though the story has doubtless been told several times over different mediums. The writing is simple, in the best possible sense – the story doesn't get over-dramatic and implausible, and the characters are not wholly evil or purely innocent. The color tone of the film also describes perfectly the darkness of the story – sticking to desaturation and contrast, highlighting the shadows, so to speak.
Credit must go to the editor, Jessica Manherz. The editing was paramount to the overall feeling that the film gives you. There are no sudden jump-scares that are universally found in thrillers, but the shots linger at times on expressions on the actors, leaving the viewer feeling disquieted and unnerved. The editing is mature and extremely well thought of. Manherz has become quite well known in the short film circuit, and has gone on to edit the feature version of Mr. Monster, a short that circulated the Cannes Film Festival in 2012.
It isn't surprising that Ready or Not did really well in the festival circuit. It has played at the New York City Horror Film Festival, AMFM Fest, Chicago Horror Film Festival, Terror Film Festival and the Eerie Horror Film Festival. The popularity of the film is completely understandable. Every facet of the development of this film has contributed enormously to making it a movie that holds it's own in festivals dedicated to movies of the same genre.
Big things can be expected from the cast and crew of Ready or Not. If you get a chance to see it in a festival near you, do seize the opportunity – I highly recommend it.