Creepy and Curvy, Topical and Terrifying; Excellent on Many Levels

Rating: 9/10 (30 May 2017)

Jordan Peele's screen writing/directorial debut is quite the leap, exchanging the comedic chops one might expect for a potent blend of social commentary, suspense and horror. Peele shows us a creepy upper-class suburban atmosphere, host to a mixed-race couple's "meet the parents" moment, with a thick, permeating air of uncertainty and alarm. Everyone seems overly accepting of Chris, hometown girl Rose's new black boyfriend, but there's a look to their gaze that might imply something else. The town's dark-skinned residents, however, are less reserved. They behave like marionettes, Stepford Wives with an unnervingly wide smile: stiff, oddly-dressed and thoroughly disconcerting in posture and prose. At first glance, I worried that the metaphors Peele was searching for would be too on-the-nose and blunt, but his well paced, muti-layered story soon brushes those concerns away. The analogies remain, but they're nuanced and subtle, effective players in a larger tapestry. The greater story is twisting and unpredictable, a mystery that efficiently mixes legitimate worries with tension-breaking laughs and personal connections to throw us off the scent. We don't know who's in on the scheme (or what that scheme might be) until the very end, and for too long Chris is afraid to point fingers, lest he offend. Balancing social niceties with the increasing terror makes a great vehicle for this genre, and the prim-and-proper atmosphere only makes the occasional weird offhand remark or personal tick stick out that much more. An excellent small-scale nail-biter, it's richly crafted and sharp, with a sensitive finger right on the cultural pulse. Well worth the hype.