Get Out

Get Out is Jordan Peele’s directorial debut in feature films while Keegan-Michael Key is doing some commercials on TV..."you done messed up!” Peele’s script takes on an interracial relationship as Daniel Kaluuya gives a stellar performance alongside some respectable supporting talent with a story wrapped around modern racism. Showboated in award season as a “comedy”, Peele’s film is anything but hilarious as the tension builds into a hard pill to swallow for most audience members.

So Many Layers: It is possible that Peele’s script has the most layers of symbolism and is symptomatic of the year. From beginning to end there is a buffet of red herrings, foreshadowing, modern cultural references, and anything that can be interpreted as a socio-political position. The typical setting for these messages is in the form of a dramatic film or at least something more lighthearted than the horror/thriller assembled by Peele. Taking a genre such as the horror-thriller and making it into a quality award-winning film is no simple task. Peele seems to effortlessly combine a flaky genre with his manifesto script to create a film worthy of many viewings and interpretations.

Production Triumph: Get Out achieves in more areas than the script. Michael Abels delivers a gut-wrenching score to the film that mirrors each scene with a masterful touch. The production design, although small, plays into the slow slip into madness the protagonist experiences. And the colors! From clothing colors to tinted lighting, and every swatch selected for various furniture items or walls. The attention to the small details makes Get Out even more impressive for a debut feature film.

Blunt Message: Whether or not you as an audience member agree with Peele’s message in the film, there is still respect deserved for his desire to not hold back what he wanted to say about the current social climate he perceives. Although the blunt approach is admirable, at times it sits on the fence between reality and hyperbole. This is where the film detaches audience members. No matter what the film is a triumph for Peele and everyone involved as it adds to what seems to be a revival for watchable horror films.

Lack of Realism: Get Out is a fairly reasonable film for the first two acts. But once the ending of this film approaches we are forced to believe in unrealistic plot devices. Luckily, the first two acts of this film are very strong. But I cannot help but think that if Peele’s script, and perhaps some direction choices, had been more plausible in the end then the film may have a more lasting impact. Instead, expect Get Out to flicker out into a sea of notable horror films, but certainly not one to be remembered forever.