"Get Out"- A genuinely entertaining and oft-thrilling horror-comedy filled to burst with strong social satire.

Rating: 9/10 (4 March 2017)

From the mind of comedic genius Jordan Peele comes "Get Out", a new horror-comedy that delivers the laughs and thrills at a mile-a- minute and generally excels in every department despite a few minor hiccups in the pacing department. Horror and comedy are very unique and strangely similar genres- both very much based on instinctual and visceral reactions (the tendency to fear in terrible situations and the desire to laugh), and it's always a pleasure to see a film that combines them so well together. Add in a dash of all-too-real social satire regarding subliminal racism, and you got one of the better mainstream creep- shows in recent time!
The excellent Daniel Kaluuya and delightful Allison Williams star as Chris and Rose, an interracial couple preparing to spend their first weekend together with Rose's parents. While Chris has some minor worries about what they'll say about their daughter dating a black man, for the most part things seem more- or-less ordinary when the first arrive, save for Rose's father Dean Armitage (Bradley Whitford) trying a bit too condescendingly hard to be a "cool" and "open-minded" guy ("You know, I would have voted for Obama a third time!"; "So, how long has this THANG been going on?") and his psychiatrist wife Missy (Catherine Keener) pressuring Chris to stop smoking for health- reasons. But things quickly start to go a little... strange. Especially when it comes to the Armitage's black servants Walter and Georgina (Marcus Henderson, Betty Gabriel) acting increasingly out-of-the- ordinary and Missy's push to try and use hypnosis to "cure" Chris' smoking habits. And soon enough, Chris will discover that despite the idyllic facade crafted by the Armitage household, there are dark secrets hidden away within the home that could spell doom for he and Rose...
Peele proves a more than capable first-time director in this spine- tingling tale, and he loving pays homage to a number of the genre classics that have obviously inspired him while never going to far as to lose originality. With shades of everything from "The Stepford Wives" to "Night of the Living Dead", Peele is obviously an affectionate fan of old-school horror, and weaves in subtle and rewarding parallels that other fans might pick up on. His eye for composition is quite stirring and I was really taken by some genuinely effective uses of extreme wide and extreme closeups that pleasantly reminded me of some of the greats like Hitchcock and even Sergio Leone in a few key moments. I also appreciated his general sense of deliberation... Peele doesn't feel the need the throw in loud stingers and non-stop jumps to jolt the audience into paying attention. He knows atmosphere is key.
The script is a great deal of fun, and Peele's handling of characters and the subtle racism of old-school societal expectation leads to many moments of pure gold. While he never lets up on the ever-growing and slowly-building sense of tension and intrigue, he injects just enough humor of the film (much of which relates to a delightful character played by Lil Rel Howery) to give the audience breathing room and supply some genuine laughs. The fun that's had with social satire (especially about subtle racism) is a breath of fresh air and adds quite a bit of depth to the film's story. When Chris is told that his being black is "fashionable" and "in" nowadays by a character who is trying to be nice to him (despite dehumanizing him into little more than a fashion statement), you can't help but both laugh and cringe a little on the inside because you definitely know that's the sort-of thing that all too many people hear in the real world.
The cast is just perfect. Kaluuya is endlessly likable and plays his lead role in a very thoughtful way. You always get the sense that there's a lot going on beneath the surface, even when he tries to play it cool for the sake of his relationship, and there's a lot of really nice moments that delve into his past that give Kaluuya some good material to sink his teeth into. Williams is sweet and likable. I've only really been familiar with her through her singing and music, so it was a very pleasant surprise to see her stretch her acting chops in such a good role. Keener and Whitford are phenomenal in their roles and have a ton of great moments. While you know something is definitely up with them... you haven't seen the half of it until you've seen the film. And supporting roles by the likes of Howery, Henderson and Gabriel (and even a small cameo-role by the great Stephen Root) are exceptionally well played.
Really, the only thing holding the film back from attaining a perfect 10 from me are some very troubling issues I took with the pacing and structure in the film's second half. Whereas most films tend to outstay their welcome and go on for a bit too long... I felt "Get Out" was perhaps about 10 minutes too short, and the third act in particular rockets by in a way that made it lose some of its impact for me. There's also a few jarring scene transitions in the moments leading up to the climax that felt inorganic, which also hurt it. The film really has an ideal first two acts... and merely a pretty decent, but not quite great finale.
Still, I can't do anything but give Jordan Peele's "Get Out" the highest of recommendations. It's already one of my favorite films of the year, and I can't wait to see it again and again.
I give it an excellent 9 out of 10.