Get Out is the freshman effort of Jordan Peele, somebody who knows a thing or two about the art of mocking society as was seen on Key & Peele. Here, Peele keeps his mockery brilliance but trades in the comedy for thrills in a movie that’s ripe for the 2017 moviegoing crowds.
Not to say that Get Out is devoid of comedy. The absurdity of some of the situations poor Daniel Kaluuya is in had me actually laughing out loud, regardless of the dramatic heft of the moment. Quite a few times, I wondered if my white ass should be laughing.
The reason I question this is because the movie is definitely horrifying. There aren’t jump scares or terrifying monsters. This movie is scary for depicting a type of 21st century racism that isn’t delved into too often on the big screen. Movies have tackled this idea of racism before, but making it the focus of a horror thriller?!??! How can I not be smiling; this is so good.
The knockout cast does a fine job capturing Peele’s words. Kaluuya plays Chris, a character just going to meet his girlfriend’s parents at their home. Chris asks his girlfriend if she told her parents he was black, to which she says no. The two laugh off the ridiculous idea.
Allison Williams plays the girlfriend and her parents are played by an incredible Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener. The two cheese it up from time to time, but Peele’s horror keeps them grounded. Same goes for Betty Gabriel and Marcus Henderson, who are working as housekeeper and groundskeeper respectively on the parent’s home.
If you haven’t seen the trailer or didn’t assume so considering this movie’s plot, the two workers are both black. Before Chris can say anything, the father himself mentions how bad it must look. Everything may seem okay about that self-awareness until Chris talks to the workers and sees that there’s something definitely wrong here.
Peele keeps you on your toes as you start to grip your seat and try to figure out for yourself what is happening. It’s pretty impossible to guess that frantic finale, which still manages to satisfy even if the action on screen is lacking a bit of the suspense that carried the rest of the film. Peele may have used it all up getting you to the end of his mysterious and brilliant horror thriller.
