Get Out Review

     Over the past few years, if any genre of film has suffered from a lack of quality, it would have to be horror. The horror genre has been struggling for some time now. The golden days of scary picks are long gone, and what we're left with are often found footage, jump scare, cash grabs. It's hard to imagine an entire class of movies suffering, but that's what has happened. While there have been some from the this current decade that stand out such as "Cabin in the Woods," "Let Me In," and "I Saw the Devil," pictures like these seem to be few and far between. So I always try to keep an eye out on potential treasures, and one such has been "Get Out." Acting as the directorial debut from Comedy Central star Jordan Peele, this movie has been turning heads since its first trailer. What has certainly helped its reputation has to be the reviews. Since its debut at Sundance, critical reception has been exceptional; the movie has even managed to maintain a rare 100% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes (as of writing this review). So with my interest peaked, I went in with high expectations; and to cut to the chase, I was blown away.

     Chris and Rose are two young adults who have been dating for the past few months, when Rose invites Chris to meet her family. Nervous, he does have a question for Rose, "do her parents know he's black?" While apprehensive, he decides to go. Upon arriving in their upper-class neighborhood, he's met with a warm greeting from Rose's parents who constantly attempt to show their approval. While things appear normal, Chris can't help but feel that something is off after talking to some of the black workers around the house. Growing more uneasy by the second, Chris does his best to make sense of the situation.

     Considering how well this movie was received by critics, my expectations were higher than most. To my surprise, it vastly surpassed those expectations. Director Jordan Peele knocked it out of the park with this one. His direction is strong, with a clear vision of how the movie would play out; while incorporating plenty of cool and stylish imagery. If this is how well he does with his first feature film, I'm excited to see what he does in the future. And I got to say, his writing is great as well. Peele wrote the screenplay for this movie, and it really is brilliant. "Get Out" is incredibly suspenseful, and can often be quite terrifying. But at the same time manages to be very funny. There are several laugh out loud moments during this movie that had the entire theater falling out of their seats. Peele does a great job incorporating satire, while having thought-provoking social commentary at the same time. You don't expect a horror movie to have so much to say, but "Get Out" says it perfectly. The plot also manages to be original and constantly entertaining. This movie is like watching a puzzle be solved one piece at a time, knowing that the final picture isn't going to be a pretty one. One aspect of this movie that really surprised me has to be how great the acting was. Most horror movies lack when it comes to performances, but "Get Out" has strong acting all around. Special props have to go towards the lead actor Daniel Kaluuya; I guarantee we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future. It sure helps that the main cast plays such memorable characters. Chris is a relatable protagonist that you truly root for, and the antagonists are people you love to hate. "Get Out" is something special; a truly unique horror movie, and the best I've seen from the genre in years. The only real problem would have to be some pacing issues between the more intense scenes. But even so, I absolutely loved this movie and can't recommend it enough. We're not even two full months into 2017, but I think I've already found the first movie that has a real shot at making my best of the year list.

Pros: Strong performances from the entire cast, memorable characters, well written screenplay, very funny, great use of satire, thought-provoking social commentary, incredibly suspenseful and often terrifying, strong direction from Peele, plenty of cool imagery, original and entertaining plot.

Cons: Some pacing issues.

4.5/5 Stars