2017: the Year in Film: "Get Out" Review

So it's no mystery to anyone who's ever read this blog that I'm not exactly a big horror movie fan. I don't think I've loved a horror film since Cabin in the Woods. (So maybe I only like horror movies with Bradley Whitford/Josh Lyman in them?) I'll get down with a thriller any day of the week - but the trappings of the horror genre generally strike me as manipulative and cliche. But the word on the street about Get Out was such that I felt like I needed to give it a chance. Plus, I'm a Jordan Peele fan - so why not?

Get Out features Chris (Daniel Kaluuya - memorable to me as Emily Blunt's partner in Sicario and the Fifteen Million Credits episode of Black Mirror), a talented photographer living in New York City, and his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams - also known as the 2nd most obnoxious character on Girls) as they are heading up her parents' home (played memorably by Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener) for the weekend. It's clear that something is amiss - but is it due to the awkwardness of a black guy meeting a white girl's parents in the country, or something more nefarious?

The Good: this film is incredibly smartly written. There's simply no wasted space here. Everything included is there for a reason, and the racial commentary is biting in the absolute best way. Somehow at once sending up race relations and attitudes and creating a smart, scary and effective horror/thriller film is a serious feat. Jordan Peele of Key and Peele fame wrote and directed this film - and it's quite the achievement. I'm not sure that I've seen something quite this smart and biting in a long time.  The best way I can think of to describe it is equal parts Chappelle's Show, Black Mirror, and horror film. Incredibly creative, smart and well done, this is a film well worth watching, even if you aren't a horror fan. I won't get into too many spoilers, but the most effective thing the film does is cast everyday awkward racial interactions as simultaneously cringeworthy awkwardness and signs of nefarious horror-style threats. Kaluuya is great. He gave one of the more memorable performances in all of Black Mirror's run, and he carries this film, bringing just the right mix of charm and skeptical humor to an absurd situation. Allison Williams is very good, as are Whitford and Keener, but the scene stealer is LilRel Howery, as Chris' best friend Rod/comic relief.



The Bad: above I described the film as equal parts Chappelle's Show, Black Mirror and horror film, and that's ultimately the worst thing about the film. Despite how creative and smart it is, it ultimately feels familiar and derivative. It seems to be missing a next level that could have potentially carried it over into GREAT status. Don't get me wrong, this film is an absolute blast and incredibly layered and memorable.

Honestly - maybe don't watch that trailer. It's a little spoiler-y, and maybe you're better off just watching the film. Trust me, you won't regret it. It's a brilliant recasting of race relations and one of the smartest pieces of media I've seen in quite some time. Congrats to Jordan Peele - I look forward to seeing what's next.

8/10