Murky and unfocused in what it wants to say

Rating: 6/10 (5 February 2018)

I finally managed to sit down and see the film that has had EVERYONE talking for over a year now...and now, I can speak my thoughts regarding it.
To preface, I adore Jordan Peele's work as a writer. If you have not yet seen Key & Peele, I demand you see it. Peele is an excellent comedy writer.
That said...I cannot, for the life of me, say that I see what others have raved about in this film.
Jordan Peele may be an excellent writer, but his direction is honestly lacking in this film. Many of these shots are framed more in-line with a television series, with lighting that looks like it's a comedy, not the horror/thriller it wants so badly to be. The 'scares' lack that staying power that keeps you on-edge. This is a fault in direction, and I honestly can give some leeway for that in that this is his first major film.
That said, his writing lacks the power it needs to send this film chugging along. The screenplay contains borrowed parts from a much better film ('Being John Malkovich'), and any of the points it aims to make regarding race relations and racial tensions, they're either points that have been made before or are too murky and lack that real 'pulp' to make a difference. There was something that Peele clearly wanted to say, but I feel like there wasn't enough clarity to truly deliver on it.
The performances were about as serviceable as any other Blumhouse horror film. They serve the story and the concept well, they invest you enough. I did not see what was so Oscar-worthy regarding Daniel Kaluuya's performance, but that's simply my viewpoint on it.
My biggest issues here, however, come with the aforementioned screenplay. It simply cannot decide WHAT it wants to be, and that's perhaps the greatest flaw this film has.
Does it want to be a horror film and taken seriously? Of course not. There's a scene where Jeffrey Dahmer and what he did with human heads is discussed in a sexual manner. Does this want to be a dark comedy? Hardly. There's not enough moments of levity beyond the main protagonist's friend to give us an idea of that tone. Does this film want to be a biting commentary on racism and current-day race politics?
Honestly, I can't even be sure there. Much of this film's commentary on race feels either done-before or unfocused. We only get concepts as deep as echoes of slavery and stereotype. Why not talk about the double-standards of race and race relations in this modern era? Why not talk about the alarming way culture will occasionally assure itself racism is 'over' and is no longer an issue in this day and age? There are just so many things a concept like this COULD have said, but I find myself reaching conclusions that I have already reached with past films, while Jordan Peele paints them as novel and new concepts in this film.
My issues extend to further things beyond just the execution of its commentary, however. There are plot holes within the film that I simply cannot excuse. I cannot divulge them here, but there were points where I had to verbally ask myself 'Wait, how...?', which does not bode well for a film. To go further, the screenplay finds itself in the land of conventions by its 3rd act, and a few questionable choices by its characters lead me to ponder the film world's logic.
All of this said...I appreciated that a film like this could be made in the first place. Its concept, borrowed as it is, is a WEIRD one, and I appreciate that it isn't a tired, worn-out film plot that I have seen thousands of times before. I'd rather have a film I've seen once before than a hundred.
To further move off that, while I did critique the cinematography, there are some beautiful gems of shots tucked-away in this film. Particularly in the 3rd act, when the lighting and sets turn dream-like and we get a world that looks far more interesting than its first two-thirds.
In the end, after months and months of hearing about this film and keeping myself fresh and ready to give it a run...in the end, it's really nothing I haven't seen before. There are better horror films. There are better dark comedies. There are better films tackling race. There are better-directed films. There are better-acted films.
Aside from its tense soundtrack, a few beautiful shots, and a sense of originality that is lacking in today's mainstream film world, I really cannot say I am with the hype train on this one, but I absolutely recommend you check it out. Maybe you'll see something I missed~