Get Out (2017)

Director: Jordan Peele

Story: Jordan Peele

Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams

Music: Michael Abels

Time: 103 minutes

Bottom-line: Has surprises around every corner

Jordan Peele’s debut film, Get Out, is a chilling thriller starring Black Mirror star Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams in the lead roles, with Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones and Lil Rel Howery in the supporting roles. The film is heavily doped with a lot of racist remarks and comments, so you would want to consider that if it is a sensitive topic.

Just because you are invited, doesn't mean you are welcome. 
African-American photographer Chris (Kaluuya) reluctantly agrees to meet the family of his white girlfriend, Rose (Williams), in their isolated countryside estate. On the way there, Rose hits a deer, and they report it, but the incident eventually goes unrecorded. Rose’s parents: neurosurgeon Dean (Whitford), hypnotherapist Missy (Keener) and brother Jeremy (Jones) make unsettling comments about blacks right from the start. Chris notices that the two black servants, Georgina and Walter, behave strangely; the former often unplugs Chris’ phone when it charges, claiming absent-mindedness. Missy also hypnotises Chris to help him get rid of his cigarette addiction. In the family’s annual get-together, Chris notices another black man, Logan, who looks familiar. Chris informs about these weird incidents to his black friend: TSA agent Rod Williams (Howrey), who recognises Logan as a missing person, and warns Chris. As Chris explores further, he stumbles upon a disturbing plot, and realises that it is too late to “get out”.

 

Kaluuya as Chris, and Williams as Rose

First disclaimer: right from the outset, in every plot description/review/article on the film, you will find a lot of emphasis on “black” and “white” and related terms. Second disclaimer: I wouldn’t call this a horror film; yes, it has a lot of violence and gore, but not horror. In fact, thanks to Rod’s character, there are much-needed humour bits too! One aim of the film was to highlight the lack of emphasis given to the missing black people in America, compared to the missing whites.

Whitford as Dean, and Keener as Missy

The story is pretty engaging. The air of mystery slowly builds up, starting with Missy’s hypnosis session, where she digs deep into Chris’ dark past as a child. Then comes the mystery of the characters Georgina and Walter, who act way too weirdly. Why is a "missing" person at the get-together? Why is everyone so racist? What's with the weird auction scene? The last 45 minutes of the film or so are about the secret Chris stumbles upon, and his attempts to escape. There are a lot of subtle hints given throughout the film, starting with the deer incident. The climax that you see in the film is clean, while there is an official alternate ending: one that is way darker.

 

Howrey as Rod

The performances by both the leads: Kaluuya and Williams are highly commendable. The way Rose’s family members act in the second half of the film is truly chilling. Lil Rey Howrey chips in with a good amount of humour, and his character is the plot catalyst. The secret that Chris discovers is something that you certainly wouldn’t have predicted, and it’s definitely discomfiting to think that someone would go so far to get the job done. One particular scene I liked is the phone conversation between Rose and Rod, where the former cunningly calls Rod’s bluff.

Get Out’s main strength lies in its sinister atmosphere, the build-up of suspense, the acting of Kaluuya and Williams, and a tight storyline that wraps everything up cleanly. It is one of the highest rated films of the year, and well worth watching.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 99%