Not as smart as people would have you believe.

Rating: 6/10 (9 May 2017)

I'll caveat this review by immediately saying that as an immigration lawyer and a political centrist I am in no way some sort of conservative crybaby who is going to dislike this movie because it assesses racism in America.
The fact is that there are great elements to this film. The direction is good. The editing is good. The performances are good. The script feels like an extended X Files episode, but, hey, X Files at it's best was damn good...and yes, the movie does provide an interesting view of the African-American experience in the US.
The conceit of this movie is that that it shows the experience of life in America for African-Americans in dealing with whites. Well, I'm neither American or black, and while I have both White (or otherwise) American and African-American friends I cannot claim to know what it is to grow up African-American. But I do know that there are a great deal more social problems for black Americans than what this movie offers. However, that isn't really my complaint. Doing what I do for a living, I have travelled the world over and having been, like the lead character, in a multicultural relationship as a minority I was in an ideal position to try and sympathise with the lead character. And I did, up until Peele made the mistake of portraying white people as bigots and only bigots, who judge blacks superficially. Sure, there is a horror (or more accurately a sci-fi) framing, but it is inescapable that the movie relies on a stereotype of white people as shallow and inherently racist. Now, I don't give a crap about all the luvvies and critics calling this accurate social commentary, it is only accurate to the extent that it identifies an attitude among SOME whites, but it undermines those of us who are white and think the complete opposite. I am white, educated and no I don't judge black people or anyone else on the supposedly less obvious basis the whites do in this film. Why? Because I am intelligent. Peele makes a movie about racism by using a racial stereotype. It is offensive to any truly educated person because it offers up a stereotype of whites as shallow bigots who cannot see beyond the modern zeitgeist social construct. As a white man who has fought tireless against that it rely annoyed me and ruined the movie for me.
This movie fails threefold: - 1) It feeds into the American racial divide, especially for the black community, why is irresponsible; 2) It stereotypes white people so reinforces said racial divide; 3) it marginalises those of us who are white and who have worked tirelessly against latent racism.
I have contemplated whether or not Peele making the TSA agent white would have gotten around this problem. I think it would have, because it would provide a contrast to the stereotype. But then, of course, had he done that I have no doubt that some of the many African-Americans lauding this picture would have immediately complained that a white man was depicted as a hero, just as Samuel L Jackson had the audacity to make a bigoted remark about the lead in this picture being a British actor who "couldn't understand" the African-American experience. SO I feel that Peele was probably handcuffed, through social pressure, as to the type of movie he could make even if he wanted to.
Perhaps, as a Briton who follows American politics and social feeling, this movie is a great indicator of how the American racial divide is still far from resolved. It is perhaps ironic that the director offers up the idea of white people celebrating black people from afar (in this case Obama), when he makes a movie that suggests his experience with white people is almost inherently racist in some way or another. I find that deeply sad. Sad for the state of American society, Sad that an African American in the modern age cannot offer commentary on racism without promoting a reverse stereotype.
Here's my deal. I'm not interested in liberal or white guilt. I am a human being who happens to have white skin pigmentation. I am no different from a black person in anything other than social construct and different pigmentation. So if you're going to laud Peele for his efforts on this picture, then ask yourself why a movie based around that social construct couldn't at least include a counter balance to highlight he absurdity of racism? But is doesn't. Why? I don't know. Maybe, like I say, Peele was petrified of angering the African American community. Maybe he just doesn't see what he's inadvertently done. I don't know. But one thing is for sure, this movie intentionally or unintentionally stereotypes white Americans, and white privilege or not, when you do that, you just create more divide. I don't think Peele set out do that. But I think for any educated man/woman, that's what he unfortunately offered.
Quite simply, society gets no closer to solving the issue of racism with you stereotype the persecutors. Why? Because you just increase the divide. Is that a message to African-Americans to stay silent? No way!. Just fight the cause without being a mirror for prejudice and division. In my opinion Peele dropped the ball in this regard.