Get Out – 2017
I applaud the Academy for nominating a horror film for Best Picture. The only other horror films, or even thrillers that might compare with this one, that received the same honor are 1991’s winner, Silence of the Lambs, 1987’s Fatal Attraction, 1973’s The Exorcist, and then the three Hitchcock films: 1945’s Spellbound, 1941’s Suspicion, and the 1940 winner, Rebecca.
Get Out was written by comedian, Jordan Peele, who first came to my personal attention via the successful sketch comedy show, Key & Peele. It is important to recognize that this is the directorial debut for Peele, and he also won the Oscar for Best Screenplay. Pretty impressive for his first film, right? The movie, while on the surface is simply a strange horror movie, which, according to Peele, was partially inspired by the 1975 film, The Stepford Wives. But here, he tackles the important theme of racism. Sadly, this is still a perfectly relevant issue that plagues humanity.
As is the case with most horror films, the plot is strange, with an element of macabre fantasy. Chris, a black photographer, perfectly played by Daniel Kaluuya, is dating Rose Armitage, a white girl played by Allison Williams. Rose is eager to introduce Chris to her parents, Dean and Missy, played by Bradly Whitford and Catherine Keener. When the couple arrive, the charming parents seem to love the idea that their daughter is dating a black man. They welcome him with hugs and smiles. Rose’s brother Jeremy, played by Caleb Landry Jones, arrives, and plays the part of the spoiled rich kid.
You see, Dean is a successful neurosurgeon, and Missy is a hypnotherapist. They live in a secluded, affluent, white neighborhood, in a large and beautiful house. They have a black maid, Georgina, played by Betty Gabriel, and a black groundskeeper, Walter, played by Marcus Henderson, though they seem to be the most non-racist people in the world. But Chris becomes uncomfortable when the help starts acting like happy slaves, and the parents seem to be trying too hard to convince him that they love black people.
But all that is just set-up. It turns out that the only reason they like Chris so much is that they want to abduct him and auction off his body to one of their white friends, Jim Hudson, played by Stephen Root. Using the sound of a spoon in a teacup, Missy hypnotizes him against his will, sending his mind to “the sunken place”, in which Chris can see what is happening in the world around him, but is powerless to affect it. After that Dean plans to perform a kind of brain transplant, which will effectively give his body to Mr. Hudson.
Chris becomes suspicious of some kind of plot, spurred by the creepy behavior of Georgina and Walter, and phone conversations with his friend Rod, an animated TSA officer, played by Lil Rel Howery. But when he tries to leave, the game is up, and the entire family, including Rose, turn against him. Three clinks of a spoon against a teacup from Missy, and Chris is instantly incapacitated, returning to the sunken place. OK, I know that isn’t really how hypnotism works, but… suspension of disbelief!
Despite that, the movie was good on a number of levels. First, Daniel Kaluuya did a fantastic job, and he was honored with a Best Actor nomination. I also really liked Keener, and I have had a special place in my heart for Whitford ever since his time on the hit TV show, The West Wing. Incidentally, He looked so different in this film, I almost didn’t recognize him. I also have to give special props to Betty Gabriel, who stood out to me as a really memorable actress. She was effectively creepy and mysterious, perfect for a horror movie supporting character.
I would also like to make special mention of the film’s pacing, something which I attribute solely to the director, Jordan Peele. The movie was an hour and forty-three minutes long, but I was so engrossed in the narrative, that it seemed to take no time at all, though at the same time, it didn’t feel at all rushed or manic. Again, impressive for a first time director. I am actually eager to see what he comes up with next!
In the end, Chris is able to cleverly escape from the evil family, killing Dean, Missy, Jeremy, Mr. Hudson, and the brainwashed Georgina, though Walter shoots Rose, and then himself. Meanwhile, Rod, believing that Chris is in danger, uses his super TSA detective skills to find him and drive him to safety. However, that was not the original ending. Originally, Chris is arrested by the police when they see him trying to strangle the bleeding Rose in the driveway. He goes to jail, but calmly accepts his incarceration because he knows he was able to stop the evil Armitage family from brainwashing any more black people. So which ending was better? Personally, I preferred the one they went with, the happy ending. The original ending may have been more poignant from the racism angle, but I liked that the hero came out on top. It just seemed more consistent with the horror movie genre.