'Get Out' A Review

Get Out is a horror/thriller with satirical elements about an African-American photographer Chris(Daniel Kaluuya) who goes with his Caucasian girlfriend, Rose(Allison Williams), to visit her family over a weekend. The film follows Chris as he's faced with the initial tone deaf pseudo liberal presentations and denigrations but the longer he stays the more insidious sinister their attitudes and actions become.

Kaluuya gives an incredible performance, strong, nuanced, and empathetic. As the protagonist and the audience stand in he allows us to experience this bizarre and frightening series of events as well as be let in on some of the subtle and overt, am-I-crazy-or, type situations that racism or more broadly race can evoke. The entire ensemble does well most notably Lil Rel Howery as Chris's best friend Rod who is hilarious, charming, and just plain watchable. He exudes a confidence onscreen which provokes comfort from us the audience, this is doubly effective given the tense nature of the plot which he is, mostly, a bystander of. Although having limited screen time Betty Gabriel as Georgina gives a good turn with one stunning knock-your-socks-off scene. Williams, Keener, Whitford, and completely unsubtle psycho Jones(as the brother Jeremy) all do well as the hosting family, they convey mystery and menace and do a great job building tension but they, justly, are not the focal point. Kaluuya carries the majority of the dramatic and narrative and he soars.

Filmed with richness and style writer/director Jordan Peele makes a powerhouse of a cinematic debut. A tight script builds pressure and momentum to the boiling point then resolves with eminent satisfaction. The score is evocative and the imagery is layered begging for repeated viewing. Constructed like a classic social horror but with humor and contemporary style and substance that put it above the artistic but narratively flat It Follows and the pleasing but campy The Guest it makes its mark with authority and originality. Contemporary horror has a new champion.

Thought provoking, thrilling, and fun.

Don't Miss It.