Get Out: Movie Review

Jordan Peele is probably best known for being one half of the “Key and Peele” comedy duo.  When Peele announced that he was writing and directing a horror film, I must admit that I found myself quite intrigued.   The guy knew comedy, and he excelled at dark comedy, so the leap to horror didn’t seem all that strange.  There is a lot of positive buzz going around in regards to “Get Out” and after having seen the film, I am pleased to stay that it is very much deserved.

Photographer Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is a young African-American man who is about to visit the parents of his Caucasian girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams).  Chris is a bit nervous since Rose never told her parents that he is black.  Despite Chris being apprehensive, they make the trip to upstate New York for a weekend trip.

Rose’s parents Dean (Bradley Whitford) and Missy (Catherine Keener) seem instantly accepting of Chris. However, Rose’s brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones) seems to have some deep-rooted issues.  As inviting as Missy and Dean seem to be, Chris starts to notice that something is not quite right with the family’s staff, all of whom are black.  There are some obvious influences from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Stepford Wives” here.

Missy, who is a therapist, puts Chris under hypnosis in order to help him quit smoking, but he soon realizes that she has gone and messed with his mind somehow.  Chris also becomes increasingly aware that there is something fishing going on with all the black people on the family’s estate.

What makes “Get Out” work so well is that it perfectly blends the horror and comedy elements.  Racism is a huge part of the film’s undertone but Peele handles the subject matter masterfully, especially since he is trying to deliver a film that is fun.  I have always been a fan of Whitford and he is given a juicy role here.  Kaluuya is great in the lead and I loved LilRel Howery as Chris’s best friend Rod, who is the film’s voice of reason.

I had a feeling that “Get Out” would be unique but I had no clue that it would be such a great time.

By: Marc Ferman