Get Out: Movie Review
Get Out, directed by Jordan Peele, was one of the most controversial movies of the year. It addresses one of the biggest monsters in society, racism.
Peele wastes no time on making the audience bite their nails as the first scene is of a young black man walking around the suburban streets when suddenly a white car shows up and follows him. Once the man notices that there is something off about the car, he begins to walk back, but it is too late as the driver of the car drags him off. This first scene is crucial because of its reality. Many people, especially African Americans, are targeted for no apparent reason. They just happen to be at a place at the wrong time. Also, many innocent people are killed because of the color of their skin which we can presume is the reason why the director chose a white vehicle for the perpetrator.
After the first scene, the audience is introduced to Chris Washington, played by Daniel Kaluuya, and Rose Armitage, played by Allison Williams. The couple have been dating for a couple of months, and Rose wants Chris to meet her parents, played by Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener. Chris is a bit nervous considering that Rose’s parents are not aware that he is black, but Rose assures him that her parents are not racists. In fact, she tells him that her dad would have voted for Obama a third time if he could.
Rose's parents live in a secluded lake house which raises red flags as most horror scenes occur in secluded areas. As soon as they arrive, things immediately begin to feel weird to Chris. He begins to notice that the only black people in the household are two people that work for Rose's parents. Chris faces many strange situations with Rose's parents such as getting hypnotized by Rose's mother without his permission. He also faces strange situations with the two African Americans workers which makes Chris feel even more uncomfortable and want to share the experiences with his best friend, Rod, played by Lil Rel Howery. With the help of Rod's consistent warnings about Rose's family, Chris figures out the secret they have been hiding. He also finds out the real reason why Rose wanted him to meet her parents.
One of the main reasons why Get Out gained a lot popularity was because it is one of the only horror movies that focuses on an actual terrifying monster. Don’t get me wrong. A man with a hockey mask and chainsaw is frightening, but he can be stopped while the concept of racism cannot.
Peele did an outstanding job at writing and directing this movie. He had perfect timing on releasing a movie about racism since many racist occurrences have been happening recently such as policemen shooting innocent African Americans. Peele's decision to use race a fundamental mechanism of this film helps bring the conversation of race to society through entertainment as opposed to the constant violence we see and read about in the news.
Get Out was Peele's first official movie. One can only hope their will be more to come.