"I told you not to go in the house!"

Rating: 7/10 (4 December 2019)

I found this movie helpful for depicting the experience of being black in America in a chilling way.
Classified in various places as either a thriller or a horror movie, "Get Out" has reportedly been described a documentary by its director, Jordan Peele. I can see his point.
Daniel Kaluuya turns in a convincingly understated performance as Chris, an African-American man who, against the advice of his best friend ,Rod (Lil Rel Howery), agrees to visit the parents of his white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams).
In a skin-crawling way, we observe here how liberal white folks unconsciously display prejudice in their own peculiar way. (Why does Rose's father -- "We're huggers" -- find it necessary to tell Chris he'd have voted for Obama a third time?) For me, it was also uncomfortable as Rose tries to guide the behavior of Chris, as if he isn't capable of making his own choices. This is a rare perspective in our politically correct culture!
Peele is known as a horror-movie fan, and "Get Out" references scary classics of the past. The incongruously cheery score that sounds early in the film reminded me of the haunting strains of "Cannibal Holocaust." I remembered "Deliverance" as Chris ventures into the woods after their car hits a deer. The movie recalls "Hostel" when Chris awakens to find himself shackled into a chair. The bizarre auction scene conjures memories of "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Stepford Wives."
The racial politics of this film would have created a sufficient sense of horror, in my view. I was disappointed to see "Get Out" veer into conventional slasher territory toward its end. I was also sorry to learn that this movie was constructed with a couple alternative endings. The one I viewed was perfect. When we see flashing lights approach Chris, we brace for hostile stereotyping. One doesn't expect a happy ending, but it does offer a bit of hope.