A Solid, Satirical Horror-Comedy

Rating: 7/10 (25 February 2017)

I'm a big fan of Jordan Peele (and Keegan-Michael Key,) and absolutely loved Key & Peele and their film "Keanu." I was excited for this film because not only was it directed by Peele, it was a horror-thriller with some comedic elements pertaining to the subject of race relations. It's certainly an unusual concept, and there aren't many movies out there like it.
The set-up is that a young African-American man is going with his (white) girlfriend to visit her family. The acting in the film is strong, and the script is well-written and very clever. Through the dialogue, Peele manages to unpack the baggage surrounding the issue of racial tensions in the United States today. The film's tone is balanced nicely, with elements of horror, suspense, and comedy. Despite being marketed as a full-on horror film, and containing a couple brutal moments of violence, "Get Out" isn't that scary. However, the true intention of Peele is not to frighten in a superficial sense--it is to create a feeling of interwoven suspense within the story.
"Get Out" isn't perfect, though. The film does drag in the middle to some degree, after starting off in an intriguing manner and finishing with a riveting climax and ending. Additionally, many of the characters (including some of the major ones) came off as very flat and under-developed. But despite these flaws, this is an intriguing deconstruction of the horror genre that feels particularly relevant given the current social climate in America. 7.5/10