Get Out: Movie Review (No Spoilers)

“Social horror” is officially something I can get behind.

I’ll be the first person to tell you that I didn’t really get Key & Peele. The comedy duo exploded onto Comedy Central and quickly rose to fame in the comedy scene, then the rest of the world. Being herald as “the new Chappelle’s Show”, it explored the oddities of American pop culture, and stereotypes of all kinds. And I was at the butt end of it all. I just never got it. Guess that’s my problem right?

But times have changed, Key & Peele has ended, and Peele (Jordan Peele) has set out to create a new slew of horror films that deal with societal issues that he is calling “social horror”. Get Out being the first. All I can say is, I really can’t wait to see what he has in store.

The set up is that Chris and his girlfriend Rose are on their way to Rose’s parent’s house for the weekend, so he can meet them for the first time. The problem? Rose has yet to tell her parents that he is black, and is worried the reason for that is a bit more sinister than she lets on. But the two show up on their doorstep, and all seems well and good. Until things start to become a little uneasy as Chris notices that the only other black people around him seem very… different.

So already, we have an original set up that I can get behind, but where Get Out really succeeds is in the execution. The true genius to Get Out is the genuinely creepy vibe given off by every single frame of film. Once the scenery changes from Rose and Chris’s apartment to the parent’s home, the framing and delivery of each character create a scenario designed to make you uncomfortable, and that feeling never truly goes away. This uncomfortable feeling comes in the form of exploring racism in a very different way than the average movie.

First and foremost, we have Rose’s parents who can only be described as “painfully white”. They’re white people who try to come off as nice and respectable towards black people but end up being far more racist then they let on. For example, when Rose’s dad first meets Chris, he seems genuinely interested in getting to know Chris, but starts saying things like “my father was second to Jesse Owens in the Olympic Finals, that black man certainly showed Hitler who’s boss!!” and “I would have voted for Obama a third time if I could”, things that may sound normal and appreciative to a white man who has never talked to a black man in his life, but revealing, not so subtly that he cares more about Chris’s color than he does Chris the person.

And really, saying anything beyond that would delve too deep into spoiler territory. A seemingly normal family visit turns into a subtle, eyebrow raising look at liberal brand racism, that gradually builds until its bleak and satisfying end. It’s one of those rare films where there isn’t much in the way of actual analytical criticism. I found the critique of far left racism to be very funny and much needed, despite how depressing and serious the situation becomes. I found the few comedic elements to be well earned without being overbearing. I thought all of our actors performed well, with the highlights being Rose’s creepy family. It’s a movie where all the moving parts are moving as one, and not a cog in the machine feels out of place.

I only have one real nitpick. The comedic elements in this film are great, but do not flow together as well as they could have. The jokes are funny and well-earned, to be sure, but it was incredibly obvious that once Chris’s friend Rod enters a scene, we were going to be moved away from the action for a brief time, and jokes(™) would take place.

Jordan Peele has never directed in his life, but the fact that Get Out isn’t just good, but stellar, gives me so much hope for his career as a filmmaker. With the thought of his next film being this good or even better, it’s hard not to get excited. Get Out is a smart, scary, and remarkably entertaining horror film. I look forward to Jordan Peele’s next project, and all movies that try will certainly try to match Get Out’s success.

9/10