"Get Out" Film Review

"Get Out" Film Review

Rating: 4/5

By: Nathaniel Simpson

    Jordan Peele proved his star talent alongside Keegan-Michael Key in the comedy show, "Key and Peele", but we never knew what he was capable of until the release of his directorial debut, "Get Out". With horror movies nowadays relying on cheap jump scares and the supernatural to scare their audiences, Peele provides a brilliant plot that not only frightens the audience, but provide social commentary on the treatment of African Americans in today's society. 

    The film follows Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who is preparing to meet his girlfriend, Rose's (Allison Williams) family for the first time. However, he is nervous due to the fact that Rose and her family are white, and they have no clue that he is black. When they get to her family's house, they act very strange towards him, trying to prove that they are "woke" to black culture in America, with the dad (Bradley Whitford) mentioning that he would vote for Obama for a third term if he could. 

    However, as the movie goes on, Chris realizes more and more that things aren't what they seem, and that Rose's family are really out to kidnap African Americans. There are more twists and turns as Chris tries to find a way to escape from her family safely. 

    The movie is terrifying in a way that there could be people like this in today's society. Even though other horror movies are scary in a sense of ghosts and demons, this film is scary due to the fact that it relies heavily on the social aspects of today's society in America. While the reason the white people want the black people can not happen in real life (hopefully), there are still people today who believe African Americans don't deserve rights, and are prejudice against this race. 

    I would say the film does a great job of balancing out the horror with comedy, mostly from Chris's friend Rod (Lil Rel Howery). He provides great comedic relief for the more horrifying moments of the film, and in a way, he really steals the show throughout the latter half. 

    However, the movie does seem slow in parts, and Peele could have edited some scenes to make the film flow better. At the same time, there are some plot lines that weren't needed in the final film, such as the whole plot line of Chris and the death of his mother when he was a young boy. I understand they use it for him to be put in a trance by Rose's mother (Catherine Keener), but they still try to expand on the story and tie it back into the main story, which just doesn't work. 

    Overall, I think Peele did a great job in his directorial debut that he proves he's a great filmmakers, and master of horror and suspense. He really has a lot of talent, with him being absolutely hilarious in projects like "Key and Peele" to making horrifying movies such as this one. I think he has a great future ahead of him in his directing career, and I can't wait to see where he goes with it.