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Sexism and Purity in Ready or Not

Finally, I will address sexism as it connects to notions of purity within the film. Grace plays the role of the “monstrous feminine” throughout the film. As Barbara Creed notes, “All human societies have a conception of the monstrous-feminine, of what is about woman that is shocking, terrifying, horrific, abject” (Creed 251). Classical mythology has gendered many “monsters” as female.  In the film Ready or Not, Grace becomes the monster- she is the ultimate reason for the Le Domas family’s demise. Tony is even quoted saying, “She’s taking us all out! How is she doing this? She’s a little blonde twig” (49:55). This quote touches directly on sexism and how females are infrequently perceived as dangerous or capable. This is what makes Grace the monstrous feminine- her appearance and the family’s belief that she is unthreatening which is one of the reasons that she is able to defeat them. Her position as the monstrous feminine is also the reason that she survives and is seen as the ‘final girl’. She is able to use skill, independence, and intelligence in order to outsmart her new husband’s family. She, herself, becomes a weapon in which causes the Le Domas family’s demise which allows for her to be the last one standing (the final girl).

Creed, Barbara. "Horror and the Monstrous Feminine: An Imaginary Abjection." The Monstrous-feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis. London: Routledge, 1993. Print.

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The Dress From a Symbol of Purity to a Weapon

There is a heavy emphasis on purity within the film as it connects to Grace’s wedding dress. The dress is initially seen as a symbol of purity and a tie to her new husband and the vow she took. As the film progresses, her dress becomes a means of survival. With each killing, bloodshed, tumble, and altercation, the symbol of the dress changes. Throughout the film, the skirt is ripped so Grace can run through the house more easily; the sleeve is used as a bandage for the bullet hole through her hand; the sash is used to choke Stevens. The dress is also a symbol of socioeconomic status, as it ties in with the classism portrayed in the film. In an article discussing the dress’ evolution into a weapon, it is noted, “Grace Kelly and Kate Middleton informed the decision to use lace, as “a nod to a commoner marrying into royalty — which both of those women were,” said Plewes.” (Donnelly 1) Grace’s initial change from her wedding heels to her old, dirty, yellow converse is more so a symbol that Grace did not fit in the family and that she always will have her roots in the lower class. The dressmaker is quoted, saying “The dress represents the patriarchy, really, and [in this case] the unraveling of it. She’s a total feminist badass” (Donnelly 1). As Grace uses the dress as a first aid kit/weapon, it becomes more a symbol of survival than purity and love.

Donnelly, Matt. "How 'ready or Not' Turned a Wedding Dress into a Powerful Tool for Feminism and Murder." Variety. Variety, 26 Aug. 2019. Web.

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Heteronormativity and Traditions in Ready or Not

There is a heavy emphasis on heteronormativity and tradition in the film. The idea of the heterosexual couple having a very traditional wedding plays into what we perceive as “normal”. First, each of the couples that are seen in the film are all straight. Second, there is a heavy emphasis on marriage and what it means to marry into such a prestigious family. Lastly, the family heavily follows traditions. The underrepresentation of homosexual couples goes hand-in-hand with the underrepresentation of people of color in the film- what is seen as an acceptable, wealthy, upperclass family is frequently portrayed as straight and white. Hollywood tends to write a narrative that heterosexual relationships are the norm, as noted by Benshoff: “the demands of the classical Hollywood narrative system usually insist on a heterosexual romance within the stories they construct” (Benshoff 93). He also tells how under patriarchal capitalism, normality is defined by heterosexuality. Perceiving “normalcy” based on straight, cisgendered individuals and their monogamous relationships within film further harms those who do not fit within the parameters that society has defined as normal. The film also displays heteronormativity with its emphasis on marriage and the image of the bride. The traditional wedding, with traditional attire, traditional vows, etc. all play into the heteronormative imagery that the film displays.

Benshoff, Harry M. "Harry M. BENSHOFF, the Monster and THE Homosexual: Taylor & Francis Group." Taylor & Francis. Taylor & Francis, 10 Jan. 2002. Web.

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Lack of Racial Representation in Ready or Not

In this post, I will discuss how race plays an important part in what this film says about difference. This also intersects with the notion of the wealthy upper class family, as mentioned in the previous post. The fact that the Le Domas family is white touches heavily on the idea that wealthy upper class families in America are primarily depicted as white. As seen in Get Out with the Armitage family as well as Us with the Tyler family, and finally seen in Ready or Not with the Le Domas family. Race and class are heavily connected, especially within films. In the film Ready or Not, there is not a single character that is a person of color- which weighs heavily on the American standard that rich people are usually white people. The film is easily compared to Get Out. In both films, the rich, white family is ultimately attempting to murder those that are viewed as being ‘below’ them. In Get Out there is a visible absence in representation of Black women. Daelena Tinnin discusses the underrepresentation of Black women in the film, as she notes that Georgina and the detective are the only Black women seen on screen (Tinnin 42). This is comparable to the underrepresentation of Black people as a whole in the film Ready or Not. In films that depict the upper class, Black people are too frequently underrepresented; and if Black people do appear on screen, they are often depicted as lesser than. The absence of any individual of color in this film plays into the idea that wealthy families in America are always white.

Tinnin, Daelena. "Whither the Gender of Get Out: A Critique of the Cinematic (im)possibilities of the Black Political Imagination." Digital Commons @ DU. 1 Jan. 2018. Web.

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Classism in Ready or Not

Upon meeting the Le Domas family, there is immediate and overt tension surrounding the fact that she is not of the upper, wealthy class. The family does not hold back in their comments about Grace being lesser than they are. Comments such as, “he could’ve done so much better” (07:05), “she’s pretty enough, in a ‘last call at the dive bar’ kind of way. But she’ll never be one of us” (07:37), and “you’re just another sacrifice, you’re another goat”. There is a clear division that the family feels between themselves and Grace. As she is not part of the upper class, Grace is seen as undeserving of being a part of the family. Ironically, despite the way that the rich view the poor, the rich are often considered part of the upper class because they had to step on the necks of the working class to get to where they are. As mentioned in The Guardian, “The thing about rich people is that they need the working poor much more than the working poor need them. The new horror film Ready or Not imagines a circumstance under which the upper crust will literally – instantaneously, violently – cease to exist without the regular sacrifice of the underclass” (Bramesco 1) This film touches on how the upper class depend on the working class in order to survive: they have maids who clean for them, butlers who cook for them, and Emilie is framed as incompetent when she accidentally kills two of the maids because she cannot operate her weapons. The irony lies in the fact that the lower class, outcast, former foster child is the one who is responsible for the upper class family’s downfall/demise.

Bramesco, C. (2019, August 23). Rich territory: How class warfare is taking over the multiplex. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/aug/23/rich-territory-how-class-warfare-is-taking-over-the-multiplex.

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Plot Summary

The film follows a former foster child, Grace, who marries into the extremely wealthy and prestigious Le Domas family. On her wedding day, Grace meets her new husband, Alex's family. Each of the family members appear snobbish and have their own issues. Alex has a brother, Daniel, who is married to Charity. His sister Emilie is married to Fitch and they have 2 children, Georgie and Gabe. Alex's aunt Helene is the sister of his father, Tony who is married to Alex's mother, Becky.

On the night of their wedding, Grace must pick a card that will tell what game the family will play, as Le Domas tradition to initiate a new addition to the family. Grace's card tells that the family will play hide-and-seek. Once Grace leaves to hide, the family is seen arming themselves with crossbows, guns, axes, etc. After hiding in a dumbwaiter for some time, Grace leaves her hiding spot and is taken by Alex, where together they witness Emilie accidentally shoot a maid that she had mistaken for Grace.

Alex tells Grace what hide-and-seek means to the family and that his family members must hunt the newcomer and sacrifice them before dawn, or all the family members will die. Together, they devise a plan to allow Grace to escape while Alex disarms the lockdown system. Grace inevitably runs into Alex, who allows her a head-start to escape before calling the others. Emilie, who is seen using cocaine, accidentally shoots another maid due to improper use of a crossbow. Grace ends up in the butler's kitchen, waiting for Alex to disarm the security system. Upon waiting, the butler, Stevens, enters the room and Grace is once again forced to hide. A fight ensues between the two and Grace escapes. She heads back to the dumbwaiter where she finds another maid hiding. The maid is then accidentally crushed by the doors of the dumbwaiter after yelling to alert the family of Grace’s whereabouts. Grace continues to run and heads towards the stables which are filled with goats. Here, she runs into Emilie and Fitch’s son, Georgie, who shoots Grace in the hand. Grace punches Georgie, knocking him out, but falls backwards into a pit. The pit is filled with bones and skeletons of previous sacrifices. Grace makes her way to the gate surrounding the perimeter of the property and attempts to stop a passing car, who tells her to get out of the road and drives off. Stevens eventually finds Grace again, and after fighting, Grace takes his car and uses the onboard system to try to call the police. The car was reported stolen and therefore is shut off by the company. Stevens comes back and tranquilizes Grace, and she is placed in the back seat of the car. Upon waking, she kicks Stevens and the car crashes. After crawling out of the car, Grace is met by Daniel who captures her and brings her back to the house to finish the ceremony. At the ritual, the family members drink from a cup and all begin to vomit blood, as Daniel laced the cup as a means to help Grace escape. Daniel is shot by Charity, who Grace then knocks out. She hits Tony with a lantern, and then throws it on the ground, leading to a house fire. Grace beats Becky, leaving her dead. Daniel finds Grace and turns on her, bringing her back to complete the ritual. Grace breaks free as the sun is rising. Each of the family members individually explodes, due to not having completed the ritual by dawn. Grace is seen in the end, smoking a cigarette as the mansion burns behind her.