A Revisionist View of the Horror/Thriller Genre

Rating: 8/10 (28 February 2019)

SPOILER ALERT
Everyone's felt like an unwanted outsider at some point in their life. Get Out, directed and written by Jordan Peele, takes this feeling to a whole new level. This horror film seems to stray from the stereotypical horror genre with its distinct lack of creepy monster or dark, foreboding woods. Instead, the audience is treated to the close up shot to give us an understanding of how Chris, the main character, is feeling. We are constantly at Chris's eye level, which allows us to sympathize with his plight. However, Peele ditches the clichÃ©d extreme close up for an unshakeable sensation of being constantly watched. The audience is treated to several jump scares at the beginning to create the overall sense of never quite being alone. Get Out also replaces the overt, thrilling hunting scenes of John Carpenter and Tobe Hooper with the perplexing impression that a noose is tightening around Chris's neck. The nondiegetic music, with its screeching violins and unsettling silence, amps up the uncanny knowledge that Chris is in danger, but the lack of clear violence denies the primitive feelings of prey. To add to the uneasiness, the diegetic sounds of silence and eerie cricket chirps takes the audience at the edge of their seats as they wonder what happens next.
Even though Get Out may seem like just another psychological thriller, it has many characteristics that horror movie enthusiasts expect to see. Even though the audience seems to hold its breath for most of the movie, horror elements start bleed into the movie during the final scenes when Chris is being taken for the final procedure. Sudden cuts from Jeremy to Chris jar the audience out of the sense of security they'd been lulled in. The high angle shot of Jeremy's supposed corpse lets us know who is in control. Suddenly, things move quickly, taking on a more frenzied, horror film feel. We are allowed to sit in suspense as Dean Armitage waits for his son's return. Abruptly, Chris runs him through with a deer trophy and watches him die. After several more frantic fights to the death, Chris finds himself on the road with the female killer. Just like Sally in Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Chris was rescued by someone from outside the 'terrible place' and rides away from his nightmare. Overall, the movie was a well-planned trip into the psyche of a hunted man.