The directorial debut of writer-director Jordan Peele, renowned for his role in the Comedy Central sketch series Key & Peele, is a satirical horror-thriller. ‘Get Out’ is a mix of terror and humor with a healthy dose of satire.
To give you a brief idea of what the movie consists of, without spoiling it for you, here is what the thriller packs; a talented young photographer called Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) joins his white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams) on a weekend trip to visit her parents. Having some reservations about how the white liberal parents of the latter might react to their relationship, Chris is slightly sceptic about the warm welcome he gets upon meeting them. His doubts are later validated through a series of weird events that keeps viewers wary and on edge throughout the movie.
Jordan Peele’s script also blends several movie genres, including drama, mystery, and comedy throughout. These themes are blended with relative ease on screen and establishes the sombre tone of the film without, making it clunky. ‘Get Out’ is a clever horror thriller filled with social commentary.
The director, Peele, also the writer of the screenplay, didn’t want to simply offer a scare-fest to his audience, although the movie does contain a reasonable amount of jump-out-of-your-seat moments. He uses the scares in his film to help the audience reflect on the very real fears that permeate current societal issues. Get Out scores highly in this segment, mainly because of its depiction of a racially divided America, where white liberals still bask in ignorance and vain self-righteousness.
Furthermore, black people in horror films have traditionally played a very critical role; they’re usually the first ones to die, if they’re present at all, and their deaths are seldom consequential. By being a truly contemporary horror film, this movie showcases themes that currently resonate with people; specially in the African-American community in a post-Obama America still striving to articulate that Black Lives Matter even with a new president who purports a racially-divisive rhetoric.
Watch Get Out now for a new form of a horror film that entertains you, while making you think!
