Racial Tension, by Bob Connally

For five seasons, Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key tackled any and all topics on their sketch comedy series Key & Peele. Over those 55 episodes, their love and encyclopedic knowledge of film- particularly horror movies- came through in several sketches, so it’s hardly surprising that Peele’s directorial debut is a horror film. What is surprising is that he displays a command and confidence that belies the fact that it is his directorial debut.

Get Out opens with a scene that could stand on its own as a short, but it also perfectly sets up what Peele’s film is about thematically, as well as creating an instant sense of tension. He then introduces us to the film’s protagonist, Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario), a young black man who is apprehensive about meeting the parents of his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams, Girls). Rose assures him that her parents are not racist and that he has nothing to worry about, adding that her dad would have voted for Obama a third time if he could have. The trip gets off to an ominous start but soon they arrive at the Armitage estate, where on the surface things appear normal enough but Chris has his suspicions of Rose’s parents, Dean and Missy (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener). There is nothing about them that appears malicious, but still, Chris cannot help but feel that something is off.

Throughout its 103 minutes, Peele keeps a steady hand over the sense of tension in the movie, slowly ratcheting it up at the right times in the right ways. Though the social commentary is strong, it does not overwhelm the story or Chris as a character. Unlike so many horror films, Get Out has a protagonist who is well developed and who the audience cares about, because the filmmaker cares. Kaluuya conveys Chris’s sense of fear in a way that is both subtle and palpable. He is constantly smiling in response to the things that bother him, just trying to get through one uncomfortable experience after another.

In regards to the film’s social commentary, it’s done in a challenging way. The white characters in the film are not Klansmen or neo-Nazis, they’re rich liberals who have isolated themselves in their cozy community yet still believe they understand the way that African-Americans think and what they experience. They complement Chris on his physique or his talents, they make a point to him about the greatness of Tiger Woods, or how they perceive the attractiveness or athletic ability of black men in general. They believe that saying these things is helping something or – more to the point for them – is earning them some sort of social credit. Peele did not go for the easy or obvious target here, he went for something that will make this film’s white audience think and take a look at themselves. It’s not that Get Out is a condemnation of white people, it’s just not a movie that allows audience members to pat themselves on the back for being enlightened in a way that a movie like Hidden Figures does.

Jordan Peele has stated he already has more scripts for horror films ready to go and even as someone who is not the genre’s biggest fan, I’m very excited to see what he has in store. Though he comes from sketch comedy, he proves himself a terrific storyteller over the course of a feature length film and he knows when to indulge in his comedy instincts and when not to. The moments of Get Out that are supposed to be funny (many of the scenes featuring Chris’s best friend Rod played by LilRel Howery) truly are in a way they wouldn’t be in most movies like this. It’s always painful when filmmakers who have no grasp on comedy try to “inject humor” into moments to lighten the mood only to fail miserably. Peele doesn’t have that problem. This is not a horror-comedy though. This is a pretty straight horror film that has something to say and that says it very well.

Get Out is a well-made, entertaining film that will provoke thought and discussion and it’s one that should be seen in the theater. It’s beautifully shot, has a wonderful musical score by Michael Abels and Timothy Williams, and it’s a movie that audiences audibly react to in a way that we rarely get to experience anymore. Even if the horror genre is not your usual cup of tea, I highly recommend Get Out.