Get Out (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Remember Scream, that horror/thriller/comedy hybrid from 1996 that made audiences gasp, jump, recoil & laugh? Well 2017 offers us a film in-the-like, 'Get out' (written & directed by Jordan Peele, of Key & Peele). Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a 26 yr. old talented black photographer, expects it to be uncomfortable when he joins his (white) girlfriend-of-5-months, Rose (Allison Williams), to her sprawling childhood estate to meet her parents, neurosurgeon Dean (a grey-haired Bradley Whitford) & hypnotherapist Missy (Catherine Keener, great to see her again), and a gaggle of their high-class, white privileged friends & family. Although Mom & Dad seem quite normal & accommodating - with Dean confiding that he would have voted for a 3rd Obama term if possible - Chris senses that something is, well, "off", and his fears are elevated when he notices the strange, zombie-like behaviors of the black maid (Betty Gabriel) & black groundskeeper (Marcus Henderson).
Then, when Missy offers to hypnotize Chris to cure his smoking habit, he starts to wonder whether there is a connection btwn. her keen talents and the strange goings-on around him. Or is it all in his head? 'Get Out' has its surface scares, but it's what's bubbling beneath that's most frightening: no matter where you turn, no matter how many people say that they're on your side ... they're probably to get ya. Unsettling, diabolical & sinister events ensue.
Right from the start, this film sets up its own eerie atmosphere with a light-yet-creepy tone that keeps you off balance {am I supposed to laugh right now, or be scared?}. 'Get Out' is assuredly made, as well as surprising, & surprisingly funny -- all while offering a thoughtful look at race in today's society. The film handles prejudice/racism through interesting character interactions & astute performances, rather than overt preaching. Main character Chris ably exhibits racial understanding, some nervous laughter, but also the mounting frustrations that the movie's happenstance affords him. One minute, Chris is being told from a white character that they love blacks and that blacks are the "in" thing {which is weird, in & of itself}. The next moment, a dangerous mix of black envy & condescension permeates the air. Chris just doesn't know how to properly respond to his emotions as these interactions occur.
Tone is also something that Peele gets right; without the right tone, this film would be a mess. 'Get Out' is a satire of the TROPES of a horror flick, while also being a stellar HORROR film itself; that the film contains such a biting social commentary on modern race relations is a brilliant added bonus. Peele keeps things light while delivering the scares & jump-out-of-your-seat "boo!" moments. He also shows us that horror flicks don't have to be defined by guts, gore & stereotypes, but by intensity, unpredictable humor, & some fun unyielding tension; I'm reminded of such films by Roman Polaski & Stanley Kubrick. Peele takes from those film masters, while also hearkening back to the aforementioned Scream; and his film even recalls The Stepford Wives & a sort of twisted Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Daniel Kaluuya is great as Chris. This British TV vet conveys the perfect amount of normal guy-ness to make us fully root for him throughout. What's special about his performance is the calmness he exudes with everything that's going on -- try as he might to be 'cool', we see & feel his increasing concern as the story chugs along. I liked Allison Williams as Chris' colorblind girlfriend. Bradley Whitford & Catherine Keener are suitably creepy as her parents. And I enjoyed LilRel Howery as Chris' best friend/TSA worker; who is responsible for most of the film's comic relief. Really, every performance from the leads on down to the miniscule roles are executed to perfection. Now, there are a few slow spots in the middle, some illogical plot points enter in the final 15 min., and the film is more profane than it needs to be. But overall, 'Get Out' truly is a breath of fresh air for the rarified horror/comedy mash-up genre.
Then, when Missy offers to hypnotize Chris to cure his smoking habit, he starts to wonder whether there is a connection btwn. her keen talents and the strange goings-on around him. Or is it all in his head? 'Get Out' has its surface scares, but it's what's bubbling beneath that's most frightening: no matter where you turn, no matter how many people say that they're on your side ... they're probably to get ya. Unsettling, diabolical & sinister events ensue.
Right from the start, this film sets up its own eerie atmosphere with a light-yet-creepy tone that keeps you off balance {am I supposed to laugh right now, or be scared?}. 'Get Out' is assuredly made, as well as surprising, & surprisingly funny -- all while offering a thoughtful look at race in today's society. The film handles prejudice/racism through interesting character interactions & astute performances, rather than overt preaching. Main character Chris ably exhibits racial understanding, some nervous laughter, but also the mounting frustrations that the movie's happenstance affords him. One minute, Chris is being told from a white character that they love blacks and that blacks are the "in" thing {which is weird, in & of itself}. The next moment, a dangerous mix of black envy & condescension permeates the air. Chris just doesn't know how to properly respond to his emotions as these interactions occur.
Tone is also something that Peele gets right; without the right tone, this film would be a mess. 'Get Out' is a satire of the TROPES of a horror flick, while also being a stellar HORROR film itself; that the film contains such a biting social commentary on modern race relations is a brilliant added bonus. Peele keeps things light while delivering the scares & jump-out-of-your-seat "boo!" moments. He also shows us that horror flicks don't have to be defined by guts, gore & stereotypes, but by intensity, unpredictable humor, & some fun unyielding tension; I'm reminded of such films by Roman Polaski & Stanley Kubrick. Peele takes from those film masters, while also hearkening back to the aforementioned Scream; and his film even recalls The Stepford Wives & a sort of twisted Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Daniel Kaluuya is great as Chris. This British TV vet conveys the perfect amount of normal guy-ness to make us fully root for him throughout. What's special about his performance is the calmness he exudes with everything that's going on -- try as he might to be 'cool', we see & feel his increasing concern as the story chugs along. I liked Allison Williams as Chris' colorblind girlfriend. Bradley Whitford & Catherine Keener are suitably creepy as her parents. And I enjoyed LilRel Howery as Chris' best friend/TSA worker; who is responsible for most of the film's comic relief. Really, every performance from the leads on down to the miniscule roles are executed to perfection. Now, there are a few slow spots in the middle, some illogical plot points enter in the final 15 min., and the film is more profane than it needs to be. But overall, 'Get Out' truly is a breath of fresh air for the rarified horror/comedy mash-up genre.