A normal and happy birthday for me are the simple things in life. Getting up, having a coffee, and at some point in the day indulging in pop and chips. This year it was a great birthday. I got my coffee. I got a massive plate of nachos. I got my pop. All wonderful stuff for a guy who enjoys such things. On top of all of that, my podcast co-host and good friend, Christopher Spicer, got me Get Out. As a fan of horror films, I was greatly anticipating seeing this film that I had missed out on, and the present was a perfect fit for me and my likings.
Horror movies have seen a creative resurgence in recent years. It was films like It Follows and The Babadook that made waves in the independent scene. It seemed to spark something that caught on. Last year, on the mainstream level, we had solid entrances in The Shallows, Lights Out, and Don't Breathe. I am sure I am missing some in there. Oh yes, the Ouija sequel. I would hate to leave that one off the list.
One of the champions of this horror resurgence is Blumhouse Productions. It allows, on a micro-budget, film makers to bring their high concept ideas and see them fulfilled without having to worry about studio meddling. It is from this company that we receive Get Out, a film that is written and directed by Jordan Peele. People would be right not to immediately think of horror when they hear the name of this comedian, but he shows through the film that this is something that he has a very good sense of creating and executing.
The story focuses on Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) who is going to be spending the weekend meeting his girlfriend Rose's (Allison Williams) family. There is some tension around this because he is black and she is white, and he doesn't know how the family will respond to the situation. As it turns out, they are rather welcoming of him. Her father Dean (Bradley Whitford) and mother Missy (Catherine Keener) welcome him into their home. He is part of the family, and yet there is something that isn't sitting quite right.
That feeling of something being off follows him around, as all of the other black people he meets are acting rather strangely. Peele makes it very obvious that something isn't right. He plays with the subtle sense of racism without ever completely making the film about it. The situation is obvious to Chris, but not to those around him, who act as though there is nothing out of the ordinary.
Get Out is most certainly a slow building horror film. It takes a while for things to start happening, but that does not mean that it is stale and un-entertaining. There are a few minor jump scares thrown in during the build, and I must admit that they got me. This is because everything in the first act of the film is subtle. There was no ominous music, no stranger harbingers that are met along the way, or any of the other numerous tropes in horror that are used to keep the viewers interested and engaged. Peele is able to keep the audience engaged through solid script writing and a cast that are more than up to the challenge of their roles.
The casting may very well be one of the strongest points of the movie. Everyone is natural in their roles and delivers their lines with a natural air that makes the dialogue flow freely in a way that would in real life. Whitford and Keener are perfect as the parents. They are two talents that I always get excited about seeing, and for some reason they are never in nearly enough roles. They show why that should not be the case in Get Out. Kaluuya is wonderful in his portrayal of Chris. It is so easy to become invested in his caring and easy going nature. It would be great if this was a 'star making' performance for him. He shows on the screen that he is capable of a number of emotions without ever looking out of place or robotic.
Perhaps what I liked the most about Get Out is that it was just a really well told tale. There are some horrors that I enjoy that aren't nearly as well told. It is the ones that are crafted like a good camp fire story that endure. They may have their faults and may not be classics, but they are entertaining from beginning to end. A person who is really good at that is Mike Flanagan, and Get Out fits that same feel and mould.
Of course, coming along with Jordan Peele is guaranteed to be comedy. It is perfectly woven into the movie, and never feels jarring and doesn't take us so far out of the moment that it is difficult to get us back into it. Lil Rel Howery brings the majority of the laughs. He plays Rod, the best friend of Chris. Howery is just another example of the perfect casting of this film. The funny parts are never outlandish. That can be the downfall of some films that try to use humour to bridge moments of emotion and tension. Peele's script shows a fine-tuned knowledge of what to use, when to use it, and how much of it should be used.
I am not going to be arguing that this film is an all time classic. I don't think it is, but that doesn't mean that it is any less special or significant. What it is is a balanced, hand crafted piece of art that entertains for the entire run time and brings the audience into the experience. Really, can anything more be asked of a movie? There are so many films that entertain, but that don't accept the audience fully in on the journey. Get Out is strong in this manner, as I was rooting for the protagonist from first introduction to final scene. The run time flew by. I had some jumps, I had some laughs, and I was glued to the screen. Who cares if it won't be remembered alongside films like The Exorcist? Get Out is horror escapism done with a knowledgeable hand, and for that reason I am sure that I will be seeing it time and time again.
Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars
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