Get Out (2017)

Get Out cleverly utilizes thriller and horror conventions to tell a story that’s unprecedented in the genre; one about elitism, racism and discrimination. It’s a potent mixture of biting satire, nail-biting tension and funny yet believable social stand-offs.

There’s a lot to praise here. Daniel Kaluuya is great as Chris, but the rest of the cast isn’t any less impressive, especially when it comes to creating a strong but subtle sense of “something isn’t quite right.” It’s shot rather beautifully and the music is lovely, but what really stands out is the characterization of Chris, his precarious situation, and the themes this evokes.

Unfortunately, I can’t say much about the premise without spoiling the fun, so I won’t. Suffice it to say that the story is at its best when it’s bordering on the absurd — not quite unbelievable but also far from normal — and Peele manages to ride this crest for an impressive amount of time.

It should be obvious by now that I’m not black in the slightest, and this kept me from directly recognizing situations from my own life. However, it’s been a long time since I empathized with and rooted for a character this much. The ease with which I was able to imagine the situations in Get Out playing out in real life was truly humbling, and a bold sign that our society is far from done when it comes to prejudice. ★★★★

Get Out is written & Directed by Jordan Peele. Get Out on Letterboxd & IMDb. This review on Letterboxd.