Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, a romantic comedy series following the burgeoning love between an agnostic woman and a Jewish rabbi, has proved itself to be one of the streamer’s biggest hits in a while. It’s also a critical favorite, with much praise being heaped on the shoulders of both Veronica Mars‘ Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. The former has been in quite a few high-grossing and well-received projects over the years, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but the latter seems to finally be receiving something of his first breakthrough role since his time on The O.C. (not that he’s ever been hurting for work in-between then and now).

When it comes to big-screen projects, Brody has always been relegated to supporting roles (after brief parts in American Pie 2 and The Ring. For the most part, these parts have been comedic in nature, serving as natural displays of his charm. For instance, Grind, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Thank You for Smoking, Jennifer’s Body, and the terrific Sleeping with Other People.

But, just as Brody was a standout in the comedy-drama Thank You for Smoking, he’s also been memorable in several horror comedies. For one, his part as the doomed Deputy Hoss in Scream 4. And, in a “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” kind of way, Ready or Not, which was helmed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (AKA Radio Silence), who would follow up the Samara Weaving-fronted genre-blender with their taking the reins of the Ghostface saga.

Adam Brody Is Fantastic in Ready or Not

Ready or Not is a masterful blend of survival horror and dysfunctional family-fueled comedy. Its greatest asset is the star-making lead turn by Weaving (who would go on to have a brief role in Scream VI), but the rest of the cast is fully on board with the film’s tonal tightrope-walking. This is especially true of Brody as Daniel Le Domas, the older brother of the man Weaving’s Grace is marrying.

An alcoholic who is clearly hiding a secret (that is, when he isn’t hitting on Grace), Daniel is unhappily married and quick to disparage his family. Unfortunately for her, it’s not long before Grace finds out why. When someone marries into the Le Domas family, which is something of a (board) gaming empire in and of itself, they are instructed to pick a card. On that card is the name of a game, and should they pick “Hide-and-Seek,” the Le Domas clan will hunt them down and kill them before the sun comes up the next morning.

Should they fail to do so, their deal with the devil (hence the lucrative gaming empire) comes to an explosive halt. Specifically, the family members explode. It’s quite a secret for Daniel to hold, but Grace’s intended, Alex, has done just the same.

Daniel Is One of the Best Characters in Ready or Not

Daniel is the film’s second-best character because his internal conflict is so believable. And it’s pretty astonishing that Brody can make the miserable, rich, selfish man seem so deep and likable. Naturally, the script expands the character as the narrative progresses, making Daniel perhaps the greatest ally in Grace’s corner, but it’s because of Brody that the viewer is forever guessing just what his next move will be. After all, just because he’s ashamed of what his family has done, and continues to do, doesn’t mean he will throw the game and allow all of them (and himself) to die rather…unceremoniously.

Ready or Not marked the beginning of a winning streak for the Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin team. 2022’s Scream (in which Brody has an uncredited vocal cameo during the third act party) was the most well-reviewed installment since Scream 2, and it reversed the financial failure of Scream 4. Scream VI, released just one year later, did just as well with critics and even better at the box office. But, the seventh installment ran into setbacks when the duo was replaced by Happy Death Day‘s Christopher Landon, lead star Melissa Barrera was fired due to her social media comments regarding her support of Palestine in the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, and Jenna Ortega’s subsequent departure. But it’s not all bad, as Scream VI did a great job wrapping up the Carpenter sisters’ narrative, and Radio Silence was back in 2024 with the fun, fairly successful, and critically appreciated vampire flick Abigail.

As for what’s next, neither Radio Silence nor Brody have any projects scheduled for release in the near future, though Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have shown interest in a Ready or Not sequel. That said, as for Brody, it would be shocking if Nobody Wants This was not picked up for more episodes. And, once Brody fans are done binging the Netflix rom-com and Ready or Not, they should check out American Fiction, his brief stint in DC with the two Shazam! movies (at least the first one), the 2022 miniseries Fleishman Is in Trouble, and his two movies from 2020: The Kid Detective and Promising Young Woman. Ready or Not is streaming on Hulu.