Get out (2017) review
Get Out: ruining tea-time for black people since 2017. Stephen King often places supernaturally horrific boogeymen directly adjacent to regular humans committing the most terrible of acts. King does so to force us to consider the unsettling thought that the hearts of men and women can be more depraved, destructive and deadly than any imaginary monster. I begin there because with the uber-successful Get Out, Director/Writer Jordan Peele creates in his debut perhaps the most subversive and thought provoking “horror” movie ever to address racism, classism, and privilege. You don’t need me to tell you the movie is essentially perfect in pace, tone, acting and re-watchability. You know that. “High constitution” African-Americans are the target for the Armitage family but it’s interesting that Daniel Kaluuya’s Chris is targeted by Stephen Root for his eye for photography, hardly a trait associated with any particular race. It’s one of many subtle aspects of Get Out that point to systemic issues with a world where the supremely wealthy play by their own set of unchecked rules and have carte blanche to do or buy whatever they want. One scene feels unsettlingly akin to a modern-day slave trade. There aren’t a ton of movies in recent memory I can point to as having a scene full of so much suspense and mind-warping mania that I can remember with painstaking accuracy exactly where I was upon first viewing. Allison William’s Rose has no less than two such moments. These moments hit just as hard upon subsequent viewings. This is truly a timeless film…for reasons none of us should be proud of. Imagine for a moment if the neuroscience at the center of the plot of Get Out was real and some whack job was willing to perform the procedure. On second thought, don’t imagine it at all. We don’t need 2020 to get any weirder.
Get Out receives a score of 10/10. It’s that rare and special film that is great the first time, even better the second time and timely commentary at any point in American history (think about it).