[yasr_overall_rating]
A young African-American man visits his Caucasian girlfriend’s mysterious family estate.
Many will be surprised to learn that Jordan Peele, former “Mad TV” cast member and co-creator/co-star of the popular Comedy Central series “Key & Peele,” has made a horror movie. But after watching his directorial debut “Get Out” (which while not a comedy primarily, is funnier than most other horror movies), it’s easy to see how his brand of silly but racially-conscious humor could translate into what Peele himself has referred to as a “social thriller.” The film wowed its audience when it premiered as the secret film at last month’s Sundance Film Festival, with many calling it “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” meets “The Stepford Wives,” an assessment that should be viewed as complimentary as well as descriptive.
Following a terrifying opening sequence (done in what I believe was one shot), we meet Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a photographer who is leaving for a weekend trip with his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) to meet her parents. Chris is concerned that she has not told them he is black, but she assures him that he need not worry, explaining that her father would have voted for Obama a third time if he could have (a fact her father wastes no time in mentioning once he meets Chris). After an unpleasant encounter with a local policeman, they arrive at her parents’ estate. Missy (Catherine Keener) and Dean (Bradley Whitford) are polite enough and do not express surprise at his race upon meeting him. However, it isn’t long before the awkwardness begins. Missy is a psychiatrist and wants to cure Chris of his smoking habit through hypnosis, and Dean can’t stop calling Chris “my man” as he gives him a tour of the house, which includes a story about how his father missed out on Olympic glory because of Jesse Owens.
Chris can already tell that something is off about these people and that feeling is only heightened after he meets their unsettling, hostile black servants Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and Walter (Marcus Henderson). There is also Rose’s brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones), who puts little effort into hiding his racism after getting wasted, referencing Chris’ “genes” as he inquires about his athletic abilities. The worst is yet to come, though, as Rose had not realized that this is the weekend her parents are hosting an annual get-together with her deceased grandparents’ friends. Soon a sizeable group of older, affluent white folk arrive, and they all treat Chris with intense, condescending interest. The tension escalates as the film begins to reveal its secrets, none of which I will spoil here (please don’t watch the incredibly revealing trailer if you have somehow avoided it until now).
“Get Out” does a lot with its $5 million budget; the cinematography and the editing are as solid as could be, and the score from Michael Abels is ominous and memorable. The cast is all-around excellent. Daniel Kaluuya is impressive as the film’s anchor. He gives a subtle, skillful performance as a man growing paranoid in an increasingly hostile environment. Allison Williams shines as a loving girlfriend who is constantly embarrassed by her family’s faux pas. Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford are as stellar as ever, although rarely do either of them get the chance to be as fun or as chilling as they are here. Lil Rel Howery plays Chris’ worried but surprisingly on-top-of-it friend Rod, and he’s an absolute scene-stealer. He is a hilarious, terrific actor, capable of making the audience fully invested in a subplot that might otherwise feel superfluous. Other talented actors make brief but memorable appearances, such as LaKeith Stanfield and Stephen Root.
“Get Out” is not attempting to reinvent the genre. Although the characters are much smarter than your typical horror movie people, the story doesn’t actually stray very far from common scary-movie conventions. What makes the film stand out among similar thrillers is its relevant, satirical edge, and the bold courage to address racial tensions in America in a way that has rarely been attempted in mainstream genre films. While Peele has ostensibly made a horror film about evil white supremacists, the real monster is actually something much more commonplace and difficult to explain. He is taking everyday racism and putting it under a microscope, allowing his audience to see the cycle of fear that exists, where white people’s fear of black people is manifested as microaggressions and various other forms of black prejudice. That the film is as subversive as it is entertaining is the sign of a confident, talented filmmaker. Although Jordan Peele has made a name for himself in sketch comedy, with “Get Out” he arrives as a fresh, brave voice in movies, horror and otherwise.
In theaters Friday, February 24th
