One of the best horror films ever made.

Rating: 10/10 (1 June 2018)

Director Jordan Peele leaves audiences and critics around the world speechless and mesmerized with his incredibly successful and powerful debut film Get Out. The immaculate horror/thriller comedy is successful in giving viewers a truly unique and horrific experience that goes far beyond typical horror cliches by delving into themes of modern day racism. The plot focuses around a young and ubran, biracial couple of Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), an African American man, and Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), a white woman. In the film the couple ventures off on a weekend excursion to visit her parents, Dean (Bradley Whitford) and Missy (Catherine Keener) Armitage, who have never met Chris and who are also completely unaware of Chris's ethnic background. Chris questions whether Rose's parents will approve of him because of his color, but Rose assures him that his parents are blind to race. When they arrive, Chris quickly picks up on Rose's parents attempts to accommodate Chris's racial background, such as stating that if they could they would vote for Obama for a third term. However, as the weekend advances Chris find himself in some rather disturbing and frightening experiences that makes him question Rose and her family's values and beliefs. When he finally becomes aware of the family's true and deviant intents, Chris decides that in order to survive he needs to Get Out!
Audiences and critics alike were absolutely shocked to learn that the infamously comedic actor Jordan Peele, who has started in television shows and movies such as Key & Peele and Keanu, would be making his directorial debut with a horror movie, a genre which is generally not favored by the film industry. Because of his minimal background with the genre, many doubted that the film would be of any substance and most assumed that it would be a box office flop. To everyone's surprise however, viewers found that the film was loaded with skin-crawling scenes, dark humor, and numerous cryptic messages that relate to society as a whole. Jordan Peele's unique directing style, accompanied by strong cast performances, as well as the film's ability to dive into controversial topics, greatly strengthens the film's reputation as one of the best horror films ever made.
One of Peele's greatest attributes as a director is his ability to convey strong and important messages within his films through an abundance of small yet important details that strengthen the viewer's understanding of the plot and theme, which in the case of Get Out is modern day racism. Peele's ability to blend and hide important themes and plot points within small details puts directors such as Kubrick to shame. Popular scenes such as the black car scene, the cereal scene, the deer scene, the shotgun scene and the running scene all help to bring the plot together as well as strengthen the film's recurring theme of racism in the twenty first century. Peele was even able to utilize the critically acclaimed song Redbone by rapper Childish Gambino to help foreshadow the events of the film. Another one of Peele's greatest attributes as a director is his ability to create a truly unique and original film that steers away from the overused cliches that are so prevalent in modern horror films. Instead of creating a film that was loaded with cliches such as excessive gore, falling female protagonists and stupid teenagers, Peele focuses on showcasing the true and complex terrors of modern day racism, such as police brutality, injustice in the court system, the erasure of black culture, and the systematic oppression of African Americans in America. Although the plot is a little far fetched, many still find that they are able relate to what Chris feels and goes through over the duration of the film.
The spectacular performances within this film also contribute to Get Out's reputation as one of the greatest horror films ever made. Daniel Kaluuya's incredible performance gives audiences a believable look into the reality of African American males in modern day America, as well as showcases the recurring oppression that many African Americans face. Throughout the film, audiences feel Chris's genuine sense of caution when visiting Rose's all white family. His performance further communicates how African Americans feel in the presence of police officers and in situations when African Americans are made to feel uncomfortable. Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener also believably portray the way in which many modern whites view and treat African Americans. They overemphasize the fact that Chris is black in a failed attempt to make him feel more comfortable, rather than focusing on him as a person. They also utilize stereotypes to generalize the African American race and culture through scenes like the Obama scene and the running scene. These performances give the film a realistic sense by accurately characterizing the hidden racism that is all to prevalent in the country today.
Get Out is one hell of a film that will surely keep viewers on the edge of their seats, and the terror that the audience experiences will surely stay with them far past the end credits. With its sense of dread, terror, comedy, and underlying societal themes, Get Out very well may be one of the greatest horror films ever made.