“Get Out” reinvents common horror tropes like hypnotism, psychopathy and deceit with a unique story that explores modern racism in a uent America, refreshing the horror genre in a captivating and thoroughly entertaining way.
A young African-American photographer named Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) visits his girlfriend Rose Armitage’s (Allison Williams) well-to-do parents in their picturesque home, which is conveniently located miles away from any other person. rough the lm, Washington’s worries shift from concerns of the Armitage family’s potential racism to much darker threats implied by the increasingly strange behavior of the people at the estate.
Jordan Peele, who is well known for his work alongside Keegan-Michael Key in the Comedy Central television series “Key & Peele,” wrote and directed “Get Out.” Although the lm’s dark, psychological story takes a large step away from the comedy that made Peele famous, Peele manages to inject his otherwise serious lm with well-placed humor that disrupts tense or monotonous moments.
Effectively combining horror and comedy without clashing the two genres is an impressive feat. Peele’s sarcastic humor successfully lifts viewers from the dark, shadowy depths of his gruesome horror, but the suspense still manages to keep viewers on edge, anxiously anticipating the next chilling development in the story of his ill-fated protagonist.
“Get Out” also explores the forms of modern racism behind the seemingly harmless facade of the well-o , middle-aged parents Washington is pitted against.
Peele does not overuse this trope and expertly uses the lm’s plot to prove his point in a striking and haunting manner.
The technical qualities of “Get Out” bring a new atmosphere to the horror genre. “Get Out” is creepy without relying on the overused night scenes or the archetypal derelict houses of blockbuster horror lms. Instead, Peele places Chris in the arms of a welcoming, if slightly overbearing, family and in a comforting, idyllic home that looks like it deserves its own HGTV special.
The one major aw of “Get Out” was its predictable villains. It’s clear who is to be feared early on in the lm, which reduces the suspense of jump scares. Despite this, “Get Out” still manages to keep viewers on the edge of their seats and makes up for its obvious villains with its unpredictable plot twists.
“Get Out” is both a refreshing take on horror and survival and a powerful message about modern racism in upper-middle-class America.
“Get Out” is rated R and is now playing at Cinemark at Conway.
