Horror dramedy with great actors but slightly unoriginal plot

Rating: 7/10 (26 January 2018)

Get Out is a slowly accelerating descent into horror, that makes you both uncomfortable and wanting to laugh out loud about the sheer madness of the plot. Said plot is, to be fair, not very original but rather derivative of other socially aware horror films. Yes, it is a kind of a horror film, with social commentary on US race relations, flashes of a very dysfunctional family drama, but it is also surprisingly funny: a true horror dramedy I'd say with its greatest asset being the actors. Most of all, Daniel Kaluuya and his performance stand out. The three acts of the film are tonally different. There is always this unnerving sense of darkness which makes for great suspense (Jordan Peele knows his Hitchcock!), but the transitions are interesting. Especially the third act suddenly becomes very Tarantino-esk and I had to laugh quite a bit. It is not the best film of 2017 but it is a genuine surprise, well crafted and acted.