Get Out

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Just when you may have thought horror was getting old and stale, along comes 'Get Out'; a movie that proves originality in horror is still out there. There's quite a bit to talk about here, so allow me to forewarn against potential spoilers. I'll do my best to keep it spoiler-free, though.

Our story is basic. A young blak man named Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is invited to meet his Caucasian girlfriend, Rose's (Allison Williams) family. Once there, Chris finds to his expectations that the family is moderately racist. They aren't extreme about it, but ignorant. However, as the film goes on, Chris keeps stumbling across people acting very strange, and clues that eventually lead him to unveil a horrible truth behind why everyone seems to be acting so strange.

The end result, without giving too much away, makes for an incredibly well-timed movie about racism, ignorance, and social commentary. The fact that this came out directly after 'Moonlight' won an Oscar is great, but much like some early horror, there's something much deeper here.

While other horror movies we are seeing these days are relying mostly on an audience reaction, this one was able to reach back to what really made horror great to begin with; social commentary (i.e 'Frankenstein was largely about the dangers of the Industrial Revolution). Movies like this come along once in a blue moon. Right now, America is dealing with Trump Nation, and whether you like the guy or not, let's face it, racism pretty much comes with his name these days. Therefore, the timing of this movie coming out right after Trump was sworn in as President works out largely to the film's advantage, as the film ultimately points out how ignorant we, as a society, can be, and it's pretty much a slam dunk with it's twist ending, which I won't spoil for you here.

The interesting thing about it is, it's ratings have only gone up since its release. I made a claim after seeing it that "it's already one of the best movies of 2017". A bold statement, considering there are still 9.5 months left until the end of the year, I know, but that IS my prediction. Whether it manages to win awards or not, it's something people will talk about for years to come.

It marks Jordan Peele's directorial debut, and he says he's apparently releasing two more of these "social horror" films. I'm definitely looking forward to what else Peele has in store for us.

Now, for those of you who cringe at the word "horror", and it's making you shy away from this, I promise that it's not altogether scary. You may jump a couple of times, but cards on the table, it's practically more of a dark comedy. I think 'This Is the End' had more hardcore imagery than this. What makes this creepy is more the discomfort it may give you. It can be a bit awkward to watch, but honestly, I found that just added to the effect of the whole thing.

The only thing I have to say against it is that it ends up being rather predictable. However, in this case, I find that to be just fine. Watching horror is often like watching a romantic comedy. Sometimes you can point out, in exact order, who is gonna die, who is gonna turn out bad, who is gonna come out on top, etc. This is really no exception, but the overall twist at the end is something I can honestly say I didn't really expect. It's mostly the subject matter and, again, social commentary, that makes this movie worth it.

It's gonna end up a personal favorite by the end of the year, at least for me. It's original, creepy, funny, deep, has some interesting visuals to it without going over the top, and so far, probably the best theatrical experience I've had this year so far. I loved it.

​5/5

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