In a world of terrible horror movies, this is near perfection

Rating: 10/10 (23 April 2017)

I often wish some of the biggest names in Hollywood film making would dabble in the horror genre a little more often. Most have at least one horror credit to their name, often from early on in their careers when they were trying to establish them self. One name I dream of seeing a horror movie from is Christopher Nolan. That would be undoubtedly amazing. 'Get Out' is written and directed by Jordan Peele, who despite this being his debut film, is already synonymous with quality based on his comedic work to date. Still though, the fact that he has made one of the best and most original horror films of the last 30 years is nothing short of astonishing.
It would take me a long time to explain everything that makes 'Get Out' so great, but that's what I'm here to do, so I'll give it a go. Let's begin with the characters. It's no secret that horror movie characters have long since been a major flaw in nearly every film the genre possesses. They are often bland, idiotic, completely lacking in personality and have terrible interactions with one and other. This is the main area I imagine true film makers could improve on things. Peele proves this to be true, by creating some absolutely brilliant characters that I frankly want to see more of even now. Each character is completely unique and the dialogue they speak has been masterfully thought out and put together. Even if this wasn't a horror movie I could've happily just watched these characters interacting for 100 minutes. There are far worse ways one could spend their time.
Secondly, the film is so damn smart. There's a very strong mystery element in the mix, and the way it is revealed to the audience layer by layer is quite incredible in hindsight. Constantly throughout the movie we are let in on certain things which will blow you way, and every time that is just the tip of the iceberg. The clues given to the audience throughout are so crafty and exceptionally conceived that I truly have trouble believing this is the work of first time film maker.
I wouldn't describe the film as overly scary, but it does have you caring very much about the fate of the characters, whether positively or negatively. In a world where most horror movies are better than sleeping pills at putting me to sleep, I can honestly say I was glued to the screen for the entire run time and genuinely cared about what was happening on the screen.
Finally, (not finally, but I better not ramble on too long) the casting in this movie is the icing on the cake. There is not a weak actor in sight, in fact on the contrary every performance is tremendous. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Allison Williams was the strongest of the lot. The way she portrayed her character's arc, and the some of the visuals she managed to portray will haunt me for a long time. 'Get Out' is unquestionably the best film of 2017 so far.