Weddings can be stressful during the best of times, but how many result in your in-laws trying to kill you on your wedding night? This is the premise behind "Ready or Not," a black comedy that mixes a high-class living with old-school killing, and just a dash of political commentary.

The film opens as Grace (Samara Weaving) is preparing to marry the love of her life, Alex Le Domas (Mark O'Brien) at the Le Domas family estate. Incredibly rich, the Le Domas family made its fortune on games. As a result, they have a bit of an odd ritual for the couple's wedding night. Grace needs to pull a card from a magic box, and the family plays whatever game is printed on the card. Simple, right?

It would be, if not for the psycho killer cult catch. Most of the possible games are benign, but if Hide and Seek is the chosen game, Grace has to hide, while the rest of the family attempts to hunt her down and kill her. With the sole exception of Alex, the superstitious family believes that if they don't sacrifice Grace before dawn, they'll lose everything. Thus, the hunt is on.

"Ready or Not" wisely spends little time setting up its premise and quickly gets to the action. Grace is briefly shown as naively playing the game, but it isn't long before Alex tells her the truth. From then on, it's a race against time, and family, to escape and survive the night.

What makes the film work is the way in which it deftly meshes blood, guts and violence along with full-on humor. One moment, you'll see someone get their face blown off, and the next, the entire theater is laughing. The humor isn't sourced from cheap one-liners, either. Most is situational. Nearly all of it is absurd. Yet, if you poke under the surface, there is a bit of political commentary to be had.

Although the Le Domas family is rich, they are somewhat inept. There is little planning. Some don't even know how to use their weapons. One takes a break to watch a training video on YouTube and to see if family curses are really a thing. In another discussion, Alex's brother has a chat with his own wife, where he points out that he told her about the possible hunt before they got married, and she didn't care. She was willing to be rich at all costs, and that bothers him.

No, it's not a deep takedown of the entitlement of the 1%, but it does add some depth to what could otherwise be a surface-level comedy or a basic horror flick. Despite all their riches, their servants, and their technology, the Le Domas clan is continually foiled by Grace, who they see as beneath them.

With no proof that the curse is real, and the body count rapidly climbing over the night, both the viewer and Grace are left to wonder, "What is the point?" That thought doesn't last long, as the film quickly moves on to the next joke and the next kill, but the fact that it makes you think at all is worthwhile. There aren't many films like this popping up in theaters.

The film also gives Weaving a chance to show off her acting chops, as the majority of the film centers on Grace. Much of the humor wouldn't work without Weaving playing it straight, which she manages to sell just as well as the painful moments. After seeing her in "Ready or Not," I can't wait to see what she does when playing alongside Keanu Reeves in "Bill and Ted Face the Music."

"Ready or Not" isn't quite up to par with "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil," but it's close. The two films share the same rare strand of horror/comedy DNA that never veers too far in one direction, yet still maintains a distinct sense of identity.

As a smaller release, "Ready or Not" may not be on your radar, but you don't want to sleep on this one. It's fresh. It's funny. It's frantic. It's grotesque. Most importantly, it's worth your time.

Score: 8.0/10

"Ready or Not" is rated R and has a running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes. It is showing in 2D.