‘Get Out’ (2017) is the American horror-thriller film written and directed by Jordan Peele that tackles racism and interracial relationships in a terrifying light.
A young aspiring photographer by the name of Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) is asked to go meet his girlfriend Rose’s (Allison Williams) parents for the first time. As being an interracial couple, Chris is worried that Rose’s family will not approve since she never mentioned to her parents that Chris is black. Despite his nerves about the situation, Chris agrees and the couple heads to Rose’s parents house for a weekend getaway. All seems to be going well with parents Missy (Catherine Keener) and Dean (Bradley Whitford) despite their awkward and pushy remarks toward Chris’ skincolor and lifestyle choices. After a series of events over the weekend, Chris begins to suspect that there is something else going on behind the scenes and something disturbing lies ahead of him.
This film is much more than the standard horror-thriller movie cliché. It is told through a different point of view that is not often seen in movies nowadays. There is quite a bit of racial slurs, satire, and comic relief that one might not expect to see much in a horror film in this day and age, but it all works. ‘Get Out’ does dark comedy and creepy very well and has almost a Twilight Zone feel.
What I liked so much about this film was that they used the money for this production very wisely. Instead of hiring mediocre actors, putting them in a terrible setting and pairing shitty dialogue with a ton of blood and gore and terrible CGI, you get something that is worth the money. I enjoyed all of the performances in this movie. The actors did a great job in the roles that they were given, especially Chris’ TSA agent friend Rod (Lil Rel Howery). Rod is so funny and steals the scene in every shot that he is in.
The horror aspect is not just limited to the unsettling events going on around Chris, but also the terror of being in a situation where you feel that you are the only outsider. During a large family gathering at Rose’s parents home, Chris realizes that he is one of the only black people in a predominately white setting. The black people that he does encounter however, seem to be “brainwashed”, and Chris can’t seem to understand why.
Another horrifying element in this movies storyline is hypnosis. It is brought to Missy and Dean’s attention that Chris is a smoker. With Missy being a therapist, she works with hypnosis and offers to rid Chris of his bad habit by using hypnosis. The idea of having your own personal space invaded and having the control and consciousness of your own body being taken over by someone else, is very terrifying. This movie knows how to use that element in a way that would make anyone uncomfortable.
I honestly could not find one thing wrong with this film
besides the pacing of the film overall. At times, the film felt like it was
dragging a bit, but what movie doesn't? With the story line, the
performances of the cast and the classic horror elements, I would say that this
film was very enjoyable. Hearing the other audience members cheer and clap whenever something happened also added to my viewing experience. Normally, I hate when people make any sort of noise during a film, but with this film it was different.
Overall, I would have to give 'Get Out' an A.
