Multi-Layered Film Delivers a Punch

Rating: Null/10 (27 June 2017)

"Get Out" is a film with the perfect title. At around the midpoint, the audience cannot help but wish that the protagonist named Chris would find away to get out of his first visit to the home of the parents of his girlfriend.
The strength of this film is the careful layering of styles. At the outset, it appears as if the film is a straight drama of the introduction of the black boyfriend to the white woman's parents, much like the Sidney Poitier film "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"
But the film smoothly segues into the horror genre when it slowly becomes apparent that Chris has walked into a trap. The early glimpses of the two black household servants and the hypnosis session occurring without the consent of Chris were two of the key transitional scenes.
But the filmmakers successfully incorporate yet another element into the mix: humor. The sly comic timing of Chris's best friend Rod, who is an airport TSA investigator, is at the heart of each of his scenes. The humor serves as a leavening to what otherwise would have been a one-dimension horror story.
It was not entirely clear what message the filmmakers were attempting to deliver about racism. The film's premise of the "Coagula procedure," or the surgery being performed by Dr. Armitage that is the rough equivalent of a frontal lobotomy was shocking. Another repugnant scene was the modern equivalent of a slave auction when the various bidders were holding up their Bingo cards; one only realizes in hindsight that they were bidding on Chris. But what was the point of these shocking scenes and the overall premise of eugenics?
In sum, this film offers a wide palette of thriller/horror, drama, and wry humor that make for a fast-paced and engaging viewing experience. Against a $4.5 million film budget, "Get Out" has earned international grosses of more than $250 million. Kudos to director Jordan Peele for imaginative and provocative filmmaking!