Get Out Review
Holy crap! You know, I go into the movies with the same expectations every time: don’t suck. Doesn’t matter if the film has been touted as an Oscar-contender or it’s got a very high or low rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Well, the 99% rating on the site is accurate; this movie is incredible. Jordan Peele, most well known for his work on his comedy sketch show with Keegan Michael-Key, I think has really opened the door of opportunity for himself with this impressive debut. I was over the moon for Lights Out (2016) last year, which I touted as an instant classic in the genre, but not only does Get Out beat it, this might end up being the best horror film we get for years to come.
So if you’ve seen the trailers or TV spots, you get the basic gist: a mixed couple, a black man and white woman, go to upstate New York to meet her parents for the first time. Chris, the guy, is initially nervous, but Rose, the gal, assures him they’re open to their relationship. When the arrive, Chris finds out that two black servants are at the house as well, and their, at times bizarre behavior surprises him. On top of that, he feels uncomfortable with the highly educated parents and sibling to Rose, and his worst fears of them just being not open to his being black and dating Rose turns out to be the least of his problems. This is a movie where the less you know going into the movie, the bigger the reward when the shocking moments come.
Unfortunately what makes this movie really special can’t be discussed here in fear of spoilers, big-time spoilers, but I’ll say the movie kind of turns the racial thriller on its head. Those of you who have checked out the film know what I’m talking about, and I have to say even I was surprised at how the subject matter was tackled. It got a huge reaction out of me in the theater, and I went from enjoying the thriller aspects and liking the movie a lot to saying this should be shown in film schools and should be a film everyone should see, even if you’re not a horror person.
Another aspect to appreciate is the cast. Daniel Kaluuya as Chris is phenomenal, and while I’ve only seen him in a small role in Sicario (2015) before this one, I really hope he gets all sorts of wonderful roles. Allison Williams is also good as Rose, but Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener steal a lot of scenes out from under them as Rose’s parents. A few other stand-outs are Stephen Root, who plays a character whose involvement in the film is a spoiler, Lil Rel Howery as Chris’ best friend, and who offers a lot of the comedic relief, and Betty Gabriel as one of the servants. As a whole, the cast really doesn’t miss a beat.
I’m a fan of the horror genre, so I’ve seen every jump-scare in the book. It takes a lot to get me jumping in my seat. Well, this one got me a couple of times. There really isn’t anything I found in the movie that doesn’t work. I mean, there’s a few moments of violence toward the end of the film that might shock some people, especially since there really isn’t any bloodshed until that point, but that’s really the only warning point I can give to some squeamish viewers.
Also, the music score by Michael Abels is phenomenal. In particular, the theme used over the opening credits, whether or not its original, it sets the tone and creeps you out. The rest of the score is great, too. The pacing is just plain excellent. The movie runs at about an hour forty minutes without end credits, and the movie flies by. It felt more like an even hour and a half or shorter. Don’t take that to mean the movie feels like its too short or anything, but it was so well-paced and executed that it felt like a short viewing experience.
And one more thing that I love when horror movies do right is when something out of the normal happens and we don’t immediately get an explanation. It leaves that feeling where you can still watch the film, but know that the explanation is coming and that the second-viewing will really be fun. Lights Out did a fantastic job with this as well, and it’s really something that takes your standard horror or thriller film to the next level.
So there you have it. Get Out is spectacular, Jordan Peele is a genius, and Blumhouse Productions, who also released Split earlier this year, is off to a phenomenal start. The horror genre, as a whole, has been kicking all sorts of ass lately. Not only Lights Out but also Don’t Breathe (2016), Split, The Witch (2016), and It Follows (2015), all of which have been great or excellent films in the genre.
Get Out not only represents a great horror/thriller, but it’s also a look at race today and how those who think they’re not at all racist maybe do have some misunderstandings and misinterpretations of those of the opposite race, but this isn’t a film that takes the easy road with race; it truly turns it on its head and shows the most unique views on race in quite some time. This isn’t just a nice Friday night scare fest, it’s got a lot on its brain, and it’s all riveting.
My rating: 10/10.
