Key & Peele

“Scariest Movie Ever”

Season 4, Episode 6

The annual Key & Peele Halloween episode is always a treat. Coupled with the duo’s newfound entrance into the cinematic world, we should expect much more interesting use of their talents alongside lighting, shooting and so on. The acting is top notch tonight with nods to the serious side of horror.

The cold open starts off like any other sketch. Two Jamaican ladies played by the guys are talking at the front door of one of their houses. Peele’s character does not want to impose on her friend but Key’s character insists that she come in. After a short back and forth, Peele finally takes up the offer only to bite her friend in the neck with her vampire teeth. A twist like this is what made me realize “oh snap. I forgot about the yearly Halloween episode.” Shame on me.

The first sketch is what sets the tone for the rest of the episode. The guys come out of a horror movie and repeatedly comment on how stupid it was. They end up being too afraid to walk back to their respective cars alone but never admit to actually being scared. Their bravado gets in the way. What ensues is the men jumping into each other’s arms, peeing their pants and checking under the car for killers. Tone changes from scared to courageous as a Silence of the Lambs spoof has detective Key chasing serial killer Peele. Taking place in a hall full of mirrors, shots are scattered and confusing. Key creeps slowly through the room as Peele darts around to every open mirror. It’s an amazing scene that culminates in Peele screwing up and getting shot only to pretend that he is still a mirror.

Another disorienting sketch follows a group of guys including Key and Kumail Nanjiani trying to smoke weed at a party. They run into a dread headed Peele as he leads the kids on his darkest drug experience ever. I mean, would you ever want to try a drug that is “a razor sharp crystal you tuck under your eyelid…that goes into your brain…?” Fuck no but that signals the turn in the sketch as Key screams in agony and Peele reveals to have never done that drug. A twist among twists occurs as the sketch turns into a PSA against drugs because you will “poop your mouth.” Don’t do drugs, kids.

Much like the other two eerily dark sketches before it, the one with Peele as a dying child in the hospital is just as sick. No pun intended. Lauren Lapkus is a Make A Wish volunteer there to take a request for Peele. The lighting here is dark save for a lone spotlight on Peele. This fits perfectly as he describes the things he wants to do as a dying wish like drowning a man. Each dark request comes with a great shallow zoom and camera twist. Each step is methodical as the music tenses with each word Peele squeezes out.

It’s not all gloom and doom, however. One of the funnier albeit crude sketches of the night followed a blind Peele as he tried to identify his dead friend at a morgue. He begins to feel the face and then works his way down to the body. Things get weird as he touches the nipple and then the penis. It’s all a bit weird as everyone is revealed to be the exact opposite of who they are. Put two and two together. Then there’s an orgy because who doesn’t like those things?

Should you watch “Scariest Movie Ever?”

The annual Halloween episode is sure to be a treat. Watch it if you dare. But really, this is one of the best episodes so far this season. The genre mixing of comedy and horror works pretty well here. This may be what is in store for Peele’s upcoming horror flick. Parodies and strange twist endings aside, this episode delivered on a whole new level.