The best thrillers play on very real fears; given the racial overtones of GET OUT and our cultural climate, it’s no wonder it’s getting rave reviews. Jordan Peele, the writer and director of this film tells a compelling story, full of tension, awkward (but realistic) moments. And despite its genre, it never loses its sense of humor.
Daniel Kaluuya stars as “Chris Washington,” the African-American boyfriend of “Rose Armitage” (Allison Williams). Rose is the daughter of white-privelege born to parents (the perfectly cast duo of Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener). Dad is a neurological surgeon; Mom is a psychiatrist. Rose’s brother, “Jeremy,” (an aggressive Caleb Landry Jones) is also in med school. There are the typical uncomfortable conversations about race, where people say things they probably shouldn’t and maybe don’t say the things they should.
But it’s the annual gathering of the Armitage’s friends occurs that things get much creepier. Stephen Root plays a blind art dealer, who offers some empathy to Chris. It seems his loss of sight makes him see things more clearly. Root, a good addition to any project, is at his best here. The entire cast is near perfect, in fact. Perhaps best is Lil Rel Howery as Chris’s loyal best friend, “Rod.” His comic presence is infinitely watchable. I laughed out loud during his scenes almost every time.
I appreciate that even though this film has been classified as “horror,” there’s not the excessive gore often employed. Instead, the story builds to a thrilling crescendo without some of the normal conventions of horror films. The story, especially in 2017, is frightening enough without boogeymen jumping out and going boo. It’s smart, timely, but not too heavy-handed.
GET OUT is exactly what going to the movies ought to be.
Director: Jordan Peele
Writer: Jordan Peele
Notable Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Lil Rel Howery
