Refreshingly-Original Descent Thriller/Horror Debut

Rating: 5/10 (14 January 2018)

Get Out gets a lot of credit where it doesn't deserve and not enough credit where it's due. Many have labeled it as a comedic commentary on race in contemporary American society, but it's really far from that. Yes, LilRel Howery is quite hilarious for most of it but Get Out really aims to thrill not to get laughs or cause a larger discussion on racial politics. The topic of race relations from Jordan Peele should be no surprise considering his past comedy sketches and personal mixed-race background and marriage. But his use of this material is to mainly work as a vehicle for tension and a tool to twist audience perception of what is really going on at this estate visit. A blatant example of this is Peele's smart directorial decision to change the original ending to one that tampers with our expectations and keeps political implications as an underlying subplot rather than the crux of the film. This works very well, drives the plot, our imaginations, and always has us wondering if our protagonist is justified in his paranoia or simply overreacting and misjudging the situation. As a horror/thriller Get Out has a refreshingly original premise with a skillfully witty and tightly constructed narrative plot but failed to evoke enough necessary fear for its own good. Peele makes a decent debut as a director but predominantly (and rightfully so) shows off his creative storytelling chops and attention to detail. But just as Chris misinterprets many people's interactions with him, audiences seem to misinterpret the ultimate point of this film.