‘Ready Or Not’ review: Irish rites-of-passage debut is lively and vital

Dir: Claire Frances Byrne. Eire. 2024. 83mins

What begins as a jaunty, coming of age romp steadily darkens into one thing extra disturbing in Prepared Or Not, Claire Frances Byrne’s function debut which depicts an adolescence outlined by predatory boys, weak ladies, peer stress and intercourse with none notions of consent. The world of Imply Women and Clueless finally fades into the realm of Catherine Breillat. Highly effective themes and a forged of vibrant younger skills ought to advantage consideration from different festivals following a world premiere at Dublin.

A jaunty, coming of age romp steadily darkens into one thing extra disturbing

Byrne has beforehand impressed with brief movies Sister This (2019) and Hey? (2021), and this function reunites her with screenwriter Lynn Ruane, who beforehand wrote the brief Ready Day (2023) which Byrne produced. Set on a Dublin housing property in 1998, Prepared or Not initially focuses on the bonds of friendship between Katie (Ruby Conway Dunne), Danni (Molly Byrne) and Sarah (Alicia Weafer). Sarah is a yr forward of the opposite two which suggests, “she thought she was 14 occurring 40”.

Summer time stretches earlier than them and teenage hormones have simply began to kick in. Intercourse appears to be the one matter on everybody’s thoughts. The febrile temper is even beginning to have an effect on Katie’s friendship with Steo (Alex Grendon). Greatest mates all through their lives, the duo share a ardour for soccer. Now, there’s a niggling query of what can be misplaced in the event that they grew to become greater than mates.

In its preliminary levels, Prepared Or Not feels unremarkable, seemingly following a template from numerous coming of age movies. It’s a life-changing summer time during which the bonds of friendship can be examined, well-meaning mother and father are clueless about their youngsters and a taunting refrain of foul-mouthed ladies present a operating commentary. Thus far, so acquainted. In depth voice-over narration from an older Katie (voiced by Jordanne Jones) provides a layer of hindsight reflection during which she concludes: “I didn’t have a fucking clue.”

The light-weight temper is sustained till a celebration the place an more and more drunk Danni turns into the life and soul of the occasion. Inevitably, she winds up drained, emotional and alone in the bathroom. Afterwards, she has little recall of what occurred to her, however senses that It was one thing terrible.

Byrne confidently handles the change of tone and makes it really feel as if the viewers has been complicit in accepting the enjoyable and video games temper that has beforehand prevailed. Katie faces her personal moments of reckoning as she avoids the crude advances of Steo’s boorish brother Byrner (Lewis Brophy) however is charmed by the marginally older, sweet-talking David (Dane Whyte O’Hara). 

Lynn Ruane’s screenplay is much from refined in locations nevertheless it does hit house, conveying a way of expertise gained and friendships recalibrating within the gentle of modified lives. It additionally captures a second of youngsters attempting to determine the adults they may change into. It touches successfully on problems with schooling, ignorance, respect and double-standards. Women who don’t have intercourse are labeled ‘frigid’; ladies who do have intercourse are ‘sluts’. In Katie’s eyes, the whole lot that occurred has contributed to studying the foundations of a sport that have been by no means written with ladies in thoughts.

Veering between alarming and poignant, Prepared Or Not is carried aloft by the efforts of a uniformly nice younger forged, from Grendon’s good-hearted however weak-willed Steo to Byrne’s exuberant, scene-stealing flip as Danni and Conway Dunne’s alert, important presence because the very human Katie.