Get Out

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Black man Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) travels with his white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) to visit her family for the weekend. At a point, things start to get weird and go wrong. Anything further from that goes into spoilers, which is not what I want to do. Jordan Peele of Key and Peele writes and directs this movie (in his directorial debut). The writing in this movie is incredibly strong. A lot of the humor feels very subtle. It actually mixes with the horror elements really well, making you laugh and feel unnerved by what’s happening. Occasionally, a jump scare will pop up. While they are few and far between, they don’t feel lazy or forced. They actually work here. The way this film is edited and directed feels like it was done by a seasoned pro, not a first-time director. Yes, this movie touches on race issues, but not exactly in the way you might expect. Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener play the parents of the girlfriend, and they exemplify the blend of funny and creepy that I had already mentioned. This could also be applied to Caleb Landry Jones as the brother. I kind of like the setting of the house. The fact that it’s in the middle of nowhere is one of the ways it works for a horror setting. But, a way that it really works is in the way this movie is directed and edited together. At first, the house itself is unassuming. As far as flaws go, I have just one: there was a character who was set up near the beginning of the movie, and just didn’t go anywhere.  Overall, Get Out is a fantastic entry into the horror genre, by successfully blending horror and comedy, as well as being strongly written, wonderfully directed, and excellently acted on all accounts.

9 / 10