The Horror Show
Get Out
by Jordan Peele
Get Out is Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, and while Peele may be better known for his comedy, I for one am a believer that this man should start being known for his horror. One of my other reviews for The Horror Show this round is the lackluster A Cure For Wellness and the only reason I bring that up is because the trailer had sold me on that film and then the film itself failed to deliver and entertain. On the other hand, we have Peele’s film, which not only boasts one hell of a trailer, but backs it up and delivers ten-fold.
The film focuses on Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a successful twenty-something photographer about to meet his girlfriend Rose’s (Allison Williams) parents for the first time. Chris is worried about how her parents might feel about her dating a black man, but as the film progresses, we soon find out that Chris has far more to be concerned about than that.
You might have heard through the grapevine how the plot progresses, but I really feel I’d be doing a disservice to anyone that hasn’t seen it by discussing any plot points in greater detail. What we have with Get Out is a brilliant social commentary about racism that also explores what psychological horror looks like when it’s done well. From start to finish I was entertained, and of course, how could we have anything from Jordan Peele that doesn’t have strong, comedic elements laced throughout?
The acting was flawless from everyone involved; from the main characters to the redshirts, each person involved played their part to a T, even if that part was something as simple as being the creepy older white lady feeling up on Kaluuya’s biceps at an already awkward party. With a stellar cast boasting not only Kaluuya and Williams but also Catherine Keener, Betty Gabriel, Bradley Whitford, Lakeith Stanfield and more, how could I have not been impressed?
Even the clichéd jump scares that are thrown in for good measure felt to me like they were placed there with purpose and care by someone who is clearly a fan of the horror genre. Speaking of clichés, it’s worth mentioning how common horror movie tropes were tossed into the mix in order to break those stereotypes we often see in oh, I don’t know, almost every horror movie ever. There are nods throughout the film to other legends that have entertained us horror geeks over the years and all in all you’ve got suspense, metaphors galore, a psychological thrill ride, and then some wild gory bits there at the end that make for something super fun and special. I really can’t stress enough how well Peele executed on this, making for a thoughtful piece of horror fiction that speaks to everyone watching.
With an original plot and a fantastic ending, I feel like not only is Get Out a great horror film, but it’s going to be hard to beat. To have such a spectacular movie this early on in the year just doesn’t seem fair to the rest of the films due to come out in 2017. Peele has really set the bar.
Hands down this one gets a ten out of ten from this gal and I’ll for sure be watching it again, and probably again.
Stevie Kopas, HMS
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