Universal Pictures
Horror/Suspense/Mystery/Comedy
*****
If you think “Get Out” is like Stanley Kramer”'s “Guess Who”'s Coming to Dinner” (1967)”“it is to an extent”“but “Get Out” goes much further, much deeper in its approach to a very unsettling, suspenseful,malevolence; yet it”'s peppered with humor.
The director Jordan Peele, African American, of “Get Out” draws his inspiration from George A. Romero”'s “Night of the Living Dead” (1968). Romero”'s movie is one of the great horror classics and Peele”'s debut film comprises horror, suspense and humor and mystery is to be from a social perspective. Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), who is white, wants Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), wants him to meet her parents.Chris is nervous about the idea”“with good reason. It appears Rose”'s parents are accepting of their daughter”'s African American boyfriend. Her father Dean Armitage (Bradley Whitford) is a neurosurgeon and her mother Missy Armitage (Catherine Kenner) is hypnotherapist, both devoted “liberals.”
As the story unfolds, Rose”'s parents, the white guests and the African American help become more weird, more sinister, causing Chris to become leerier than at the time he arrived. Something isn”'t right at the country estate making “Get Out” to be, quite honesty, a brilliant piece of work especially in the horror/suspense/mystery genres. It has its comedy side, resting on African American humor and tone, in several scenes when his buddy Rod Williams Lil Rel Howery) back at Chris”' apartment watching his dog warns him to bail out from Rose”' parents”' house after Chris tells him strange things are happening there.
Racial paranoid is everywhere at the estate. Even the black help Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and Walter (Marcus Henderson) act weird as if they will become fifth columnists against Chris down the road. The deck seems to be stacked against Chris with undercurrent they (the parents and Rose”'s brother) have nefarious intentions for their black “guest”. And if Chris didn”'t know better, what appears wacky may be like the nightmare of Jeffrey Dahmer coming forth for the most unsavory purposes.
What”'s more haunting and brilliant at the same time in “Get Out” is there”'s much reality beyond the simple historic illicit romantic relationships of interracial couples, particularly between a black male and a white female. “Get Out” is unique in its social issues around the horror genre.
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya (Chris Washington), Allison William (Rose Armitage), Catherine
Kenner (Missy Armitage), Bradley Whitford (Dean Armitage), Lil Rel Howery
(Rod Williams), Betty Gabriel (Georgina), Marcus Henderson (Walter).
Running time:103 minutes. (R) Director: Jordan Peele. Writer: Jordan Peele.
