America has real horrors in its history.
The white majority’s treatment of African Americans since the inception of this nation is America’s most painful shame. This is an undeniable truth that we struggle with even in our contemporary times - despite how advanced we think we are and how much progress we think we’ve made. We only need open our eyes a little to see that injustice and racism still permeate our society. Hollywood has always attempted to confront this shame to varying degrees of success – directly, in the case of Dramas, and allegorically, in the case of Sci-fi. The world of Horror, however, has been largely silent on the issue. Sure, we’ve had some Horror movies that have touched on racism, or have referred to racism, but there have been few – if any – that have tackled the reality directly. There have been few Horror films out there that have made the de-humanization of black men the actual source of the horror. This year, that changed when a movie was released, written and directed by a black man, that gave us a thoughtful, tense, honest, and scary look at the state of race in America. That film is Jordan Peele’s GET OUT.
Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) head to Rose’s childhood home to meet her parents. While this would be a nerve-wracking situation to begin with, Chris has the extra anxiety of being a black man with a white girlfriend. He is welcomed by Rose’s folks, however, and everything seems to proceed along traditional “meeting-the-parents” lines. After a short time, however, Chris notices strange things going on in the Armitage’s household. The African-American servants seem unnaturally vacant. Rose’s mother Missy (Catherine Keener) seems a little too willing to help Chris quit smoking through hypnosis. Most unnervingly, an unexpected garden party takes place that neither Chris nor Rose knew anything about. At this party, Chris is faced with awkwardly probing questions about his physicality, history, and his experiences as a black man in America. Chris begins to suspect something sinister at this house, and once his fears are confirmed, he must find a way to survive.
This would be a terrific movie even if we took it strictly on its technical merits. Daniel Kaluuya is a revelation as Chris, and he brings a real, world-weary, yet resigned air to the character. The supporting cast is also terrific. Cathereine Keener and Bradley Whitford are great as Rose’s parents, and LilRel Howery is wonderful as Rod, Chris’ TSA agent best friend who suspects something is wrong. The photography by Toby Oliver is beautiful and the score by Michael Abels sets a wonderful, off-putting tone (Seriously! Woodwinds in a film score! You just don’t hear that nowadays). The real star of this film, however, is writer/director Jordan Peele, and his masterful crafting of this film.
GET OUT accomplishes what only the best of Horror movies can accomplish. For the white audience, it gets us to a better understanding of another peoples’ experience of America, while an African-American audience sees their perspectives and emotions validated in a genre where they are woefully underrepresented. The real wonder of GET OUT is that Jordan Peele achieves this while thrilling us with his skillful, steady hand at the helm. Never once in the viewing of this movie does the film’s message overpower the thrills and scares it provides. Indeed, the thrills and scares only serve to intensify the movie’s depth and meaning. It is a result only achievable in Horror.
GET OUT is one of those films that you go into not quite knowing what to expect, that suddenly blindsides you with its brilliance. Critics and audiences recognized immediately that this film was something special and rewarded it with excellent reviews and over $200 million at the box office. GET OUT represents not only what Horror can be at its very best, but what cinema as a whole can be. Hopefully, it will be the first of many more Horror movies made by black filmmakers – as it is clear that the genre can only benefit from their voice.
GET OUT fun facts – Filmed in only 28 days.
Daniel Kaluuya won the role of Chris after a perfect audition. He read the part of the hypnosis scene five times, and each reading produced a single tear at exactly the same moment.
Composer Michael Abels is a noted concert composer and had never written for film before.
Last-minute budget cuts forced the production to film in Alabama. Jordan Peele later said that the film ended up better for filming there and that it proved that adversity can be a blessing in disguise.
Chris - “My cousin is epileptic. That wasn’t a seizure, alright?”
Missy Armitage – “Sink into the floor.”
Rod – “I don’t know if you noticed, but white people love making people sex slaves and shit.”
Rose – “You were one of my favorites.”