With the success of the sketch comedy show Key & Peele, the sky was the limit for both Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele for whatever they pursued next for their projects. This leads to Jordan Peele’s directorial debut film called Get Out, a psychological/mystery horror film that owes a lot to those classic genre films in the veins of Hitchcock but modernized for today’s culture. The confident, steady direction, tense build-up to the revelations, strong performances from the entire cast, likeable character writing/tight scripting on display, a clever blend of satire and societal humor regarding race/social norms of the suburbs, and another technically refined film in sound design make for quite the combination for a debut film. It is one of the few horror films that feels well rounded and balanced in when it establishes its world but also to turn up the creepiness in all the right places. Let’s get into it with the main gist of the story.
We follow a young, talented Black photographer named Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who is dating Rose (Allison Williams), his white girlfriend living together in an apartment in New York City happily for a few months now. They go on a home visit trip to Rose’s family home out in upstate New York just as his buddy from TSA Rod Williams (Lil Rel Howery), takes care of their home and dog while they are away. As soon as they arrive, Rose’s parents Dean Armitage (Bradley Whitford) and Missy Armitage (Catherine Keener) are quite friendly yet off along with the Black house/garden keeper Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and Walter (Marcus Henderson) despite the idyllic setting of the place. However, the more of the people Chris sees around the neighborhood, the more off-putting it gets as he discovers the mystery behind their family, their black servants, and a strange technique that could reveal a nightmare too horrible to imagine or remember.
That’s the general gist without going into details but suffice to say, this is a well-paced and cleverly structured horror story on display here with a love for the genre and implemented with a blend of satirical dark humor along with a genuine sense of dread and creepiness that is present throughout this whole film. All the characters are writing wonderfully and feel like believable yet flawed human beings that make sensible choices to their characters especially when their own set of quirks or traits are flipped into the extremities as the horror component finally takes over gradually. It really felt like a great genre blend of the social thriller with a family drama/comedy which Peele made it work for his story as well as the characters living up to but subverting those character troupes you would expect from this type of film. The story is compelling, creepy in all the right ways, engaging, and satisfyingly enjoyable from start to finish.
It is also worth noting how this film approaches racism with its social commentary without diluting it or being arrogantly pretentious about it. The humor is absolutely spot on when it clicks especially with that feeling of cringe like embarrassment when dealing with people that do not understand another person and his/her ethnicity. It is also tied into the main mystery of the film and felt very organic in its reason to be a part of the motivation for this story. Thankfully, it never felt like it must poke fun at racism for the sake of it but really when it matters to the story and the characters’ discomfort about it. It had to be mention as that will be the main pre-conceived contention with this film when it is clearly unwarranted. While it does have elements of racism, it is handled with subtlety and intention behind it as well as tying in well with the comedy and horror elements smoothly.
Now, for the performances of the cast starting with the leads then the supporting cast themselves.
Daniel Kaluuya as Chris is an upcoming star in the making especially after turning heads with his passionate, powerful performance on the BBC/Netflix show Black Mirror. He gives the right amount of charisma and vulnerability to make the audience root for him to survive without feeling the need to see him bite the dust. Another surprise is Allison Williams as Rose, who really showcases her charming personality and magnetic chemistry with Kaluuya which makes the romance believable and impact the most when it takes its turn for the worse. It is also worth noting Lil Rel Howery as Rod Williams as he provides legitimate, well written comedy relief in the most appropriate places in the story that allows for us to really be a part of this mystery without detracting from the main story itself. The notable leads were fantastic in this film along with a strong, memorable supporting cast to really set this apart from most directed horror films.
Each of the family members with all their quirks and character traits that feel well defined and add to the atmosphere of the setting as we learn more about their home as well as their family history. With Rose’s father Dean, Bradley Whitford really plays up the dutiful yet friendly father nicely to ease the characters into the setting before it gets flipped upside down. Catherine Keener as Missy, the psychologist with a knack for hypnosis really provides a steady, surreal performance to go along with some of the most subdued, yet unnervingly psychological moments in the film. Even Rose’s Brother Jeremy Armitage (Caleb Landry Jones) really starts to get the uneasiness going early especially with his dialogue even though he is not as developed or quite memorable compared to the other cast members in the film. It is also worth mentioning the housekeeper Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Henderson) as they both do an exceptional job with the scenes given to them as well as providing for some of the creepier, surreal moments in the film. Overall, the cast fit their roles perfectly with charisma and passion for the material at work here.
Let’s get into the technical aspects of the film starting with the cinematography and editing of this film. This is a wonderfully shot film with a great use of the location and lighting as well to shape it to the intention of the scenes. It is admirable to see how much it relies on those long takes with minimal cuts to it, effective in establishing and maintain the atmosphere with such confidence and patience that has not be seen in many horror films these days. That ties into the evenly paced speed of the film’s story through the editing as it allows for us to really absorb the setting, family, history of the place, and the characters’ interaction to never truly feel slow or fast in the way the narrative moves in this film. The script was already good to begin with but the technical aspects of the editing and cinematography really allow for it to flow so well that it is worth commending it for keeping the audience intrigued and focused on where the story will go next.
Lastly, there is the sound design of the film from the use of the sound effects as well as the minimalistic soundtrack at work here. This is another horror film that utilizes sound effectively to create tension and moments of unease in the right places. It never felt like it was used for a cheap scare at all and really adds to the film and its atmosphere instead of detracting from it. As for the soundtrack, there is a clever use of low key blues music at times but more of that 70’s low-key orchestra that really plays well to the idyllic yet isolating nature of the setting. The sound design is effective at its implementation and use to really create this ominous yet scary soundscape to the film.
Get Out is a fantastic, expertly crafted horror film debut for Jordan Peele as a director and writer, who continues to showcase his ability to craft a structured story of a genre with care and passion for it on a dramatic and comedic level. This also features a stellar cast that fit each role perfectly and play up each of the well-defined characters quirks so well that it feels naturally scary and creepy when the horror elements kick in. It also handles racism and the social commentaries with such surprisingly subtlety and care to make it fit with the comedic/horror moments of its story. The technical aspects are no slouch either with some truly inspired cinematography with some tense yet patient editing of the story as well as another film with an effective sound design at work here. This is one family home trip worth paying a visit to in theaters.
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