Fish and Cherries Productions

Synopsis: It’s a big weekend for Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) as he’s going with his girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) to meet her parents (Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford). There’s only one thing that might cause problems: Chris is black and the Armitages are white folk living in the whitest of neighborhoods. But it seems that his worries are for naught; despite the concerns of his best friend in the TSA, Rod (Lil Rel Howery), the Armitages are warm and welcoming hosts, even if slightly insensitive. But as Chris continues his stay, things start to feel off, particularly with the African-American hired help, Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and Walter (Marcus Henderson), who don’t seem to talk or behave like normal people. Is something sinister going on here? And if so, will Chris and Rose be able to get out in time?

Review: Get Out was a masterpiece of intrigue and disturbing content as well as one of the most original concepts for a horror film I’ve seen. It taps into a very real and present danger which adds to the sense of dread the movie evokes. That’s why I don’t think this movie could have worked if anything was changed or made different — all the pieces fit perfectly into place. If the characters were a different race, the movie would not have had nearly the punch that it did.

The cinematography and sound design were sublime, each adding to the tense and threatening atmosphere. Whether it’s the claustrophobic camerawork or the musical ambiance, it puts us further into Chris’ headspace as the story unfolds. That said, the movie manages to balance horror and humor while mixing the two at times. Rod as the comic relief character would have been an unfunny disaster in the hands of a lesser writer. Then again, given that the writer and director is Jordan Peele of Key and Peele, we shouldn’t be surprised.

This is going to be a short review because a lot of the power comes from the suspense and mystery and it would be a crime to spoil any of it. Suffice to say, you should see this movie and see it in theaters because it amplifies the story and suspense. It’s put together perfectly and really makes the audience empathize with the worry and paranoia in African-American communities. I tell you, if this doesn’t rank on my best movies of the year list, I will be very surprised.

Fun Tidbit: At some point in the film, someone (can’t say who because of spoilers) looks through a photo search of NCAA players for potential candidates for [SPOILER REDACTED]. One of the men in those photos is the writer/director’s comedic other half, Keegan-Michael Key.