Unsubtle but deft balance of laughs and bloody thrills

Rating: 8/10 (19 March 2017)

'Get Out' is a well-balanced blend of horror and comedy. While it is consistently eerie, intriguing and suspenseful, the comedy manages to compliment the tone, which is hard to achieve. For example, the comic relief character TSA Agent Rod is actually funny and a stand- out, which is uncommon, but it should be noted that every actor in this film is stellar, particularly Daniel Kaluuya. Director Jordan Peele ('Key & Peele' and 'Keanu') displays a strong influence from classic horror/slasher films, but shows enough originality (black brainwashing, the "sunken place") to stand out from other horror directors. He achieves this by subverting the horror genre, having a black male as the lead in peril, instead of a virginal babysitter.
The theme of racism is strong and ballsy; Peele's tactic of having white middle-class liberals (you) as the villain, the movie reflects back on the audience to chilling results (like 'Black Mirror', only much better). The film remains accessible throughout despite the heavy, "in your face" race theme – I felt the metaphor lacked subtlety, which was a small issue. The ending was good if a little too small in scale ('Hot Fuzz' was better at this) and the twist was surprising and had a strong build-up ("get the keys!"). The film was let down by not having a big scare-factor – this was more creepy than scary and long-time horror fans might be disappointed with the slightly unnecessary jump scare cues. I would describe 'Get Out' as creative and engaging, and awesome to watch with a cinema audience (I can't remember an ordinary packed screening room clapping before).