One of the Most Original Stories in Years

Rating: 9/10 (15 April 2018)

NYC photographer Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) has been happily dating his caucasian girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) for five months. She coaxes him into going to her parent's house one weekend to meet the family. His best friend Rod warns him against this, but he agrees to join Rose. They make the hour-2 hour drive outside the city into a beautiful lake community where the Armitage house resides. Chris immediately feels uncomfortable, from the black servants working at the house, to the awkward conversations he has with her family, to the unannounced party they will now have to attend. Chris learns of a dark secret the family is hiding, and must figure out how he can escape before it's too late.
This is honestly one of the most original movies I've watched in years. Jordan Peele, a comedian I enjoy from his Key & Peele days, writes a story that honestly resonates more with what America is like these days more than the typical racism stories you see. He hits on the "white liberal guilt" type of racism, where whites are not blatantly racist to blacks, but instead want blacks to fit a certain white mindset. These are the types who point to Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Denzel Washington and President Barack Obama and want blacks to be like that. They aren't calling them the "n" word, they aren't attacking them and many times they are friendly towards them, but only to a point. I'm glad this aspect is finally touched on because in 2018, there are many, many more types of this pseudo discrimination and racism than there are of the white nationalist, blatant racism variety. The irony of it all is Peele himself is married to a white caucasian woman, so I'm sure many of the themes and topics are things he dealt with (and still does) in that relationship.
Calling it just a horror movie doesn't do it justice. Horror, with a mix of comedy, satire and thriller is probably a better description. I takes a deeply political, sensitive issue, addresses it, and does it in a way that is not pushy or over the top. The characters are not stereotypes, but fully developed. The story builds and builds, with a conclusion that I found satisfying.
Peele could be a filmmaker to keep an eye on moving forward. I look forward to other stories he has to tell.