Subtle Mystery at it's Finest

Rating: 8/10 (30 June 2017)

Get Out follows a young black man as he goes to visit his white girlfriend's parents. From there, weirder and weirder things begin to take place.
To start, the acting is pretty solid. Daniel Kaluuya as the leading character paints himself as something of the modern 20-something- year-old. He's relatable, he's mostly interesting, he's got his flaws and he's got his perks. And he's a photographer. Gotta appeal to the hipster crowd too. In all seriousness his character is very realistically played, but even more so when he needs to hit an emotional high note this guy nails it. Starring alongside him is Allison Williams whom I believe said that this was her first movie. Seeing her on screen that's not something you'd think. She's so subtle and so well played, even if she is a little dull from time to time. You can tell that's part of her character, that's what she's going for and it actually works really well. The performances of the two parents, Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford, are great as well. I'm going to sound like a broken record here but again, subtlety, they got it. In a film of overwhelming mystery, the subtlety here plays a key role and works fantastically from start to finish.
But what are good actors without a good screenplay? The writing is quite good. While a few lines came off as forced or awkward, the vast majority of it works very well, and the way the story progresses is engaging and very mysterious. It never really hints at what the end goal may be, and yet it makes sense when it's finally revealed. There's no 'eureka!' moment when the twist is revealed, yet that may be the very reason it worked so well. Because once again, subtlety.
Probably the biggest star of this film is Jordan Peele, the director. It's hard to believe that this is the first time he's made a full length film. His ability to direct is fantastic. The way it's shot is that of a professional, and I look forward to seeing more of his filmmaking career in the near future.
Most horror movies feature generic music cues and sharp, loud sound effects to keep the viewer awake through it's entirely boring scare tactics, and while Get Out does use those same sound effects, they are woven into actual music that is quite good. And I get the feeling that the music was partially used to satire typical horror movies, considering how unique this one is compared to others. And while it may come off of as generic or lazy to 'cue the creepy music when creepy stuff happens', the music is still good and, upon a second watch, actually justified.
While I enjoyed Get Out for the most part both times I saw it, that's probably my biggest problem with it. The first time I saw it I didn't care at all. The build up seemed to be going nowhere, and it was all just so weird. However, when the twist ending rolled around I suddenly understood and enjoyed it much more. Upon a rewatch I was able to pick up on the things I missed, along with some unexpected comedic foreshadowing. And while some of the comedy did work, some of it didn't. Unlike the trailer made it seem, the movie is hardly a satire on modern horror, or even a comedy to begin with. It's very much a mystery, so don't go into it expecting to laugh.
Overall I really enjoyed Get Out. The acting, writing, and story are good, and the soundtrack is effectively used. It's a subtle mystery that hits more high notes than low ones. It's one that I can certainly see myself returning to time and time again to see and pick up on new things. In the end I'd definitely recommend it, but moreover, I'd recommend seeing it more than once.