A young African-American photographer (Daniel Kaluuya) is nervous at the thought of meeting his white girlfriend's parents (Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford) for the first time during a trip to the latter's country estate. However, his anxiety soon turns into outright terror when he discovers that the family's seemingly idyllic community is hiding a sinister conspiracy, one that involves the disappearance of several black people in the area. Jordan Peele, one half of the comedic duo Jordan Peele, makes his directorial debut with this horror thriller. Allison Williams, LaKeith Stanfield, and Caleb Landry Jones co-star. ~ Jack Rodgers, Rovi
Director: Jordan Peele
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry
Jones, Stephen Root, LaKeith Stanfield,
Allison Williams
Release Date: Feb
24, 2017
Rated R for Language, Bloody Images, Sexual References
and Violence
Runtime: 1 hr. 44 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Get Out is a fine debut for Jordan Peele even if it isn’t
a landmark horror benchmark some have made it out to be. Get Out plays more like a comedic satire of
classic horror movie tropes with a racial slant. As it plays out, it’s clear that Jordan Peele
is a fan of classic films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Stepford
Wives. On the downside there are few
surprises for anyone who’s watched any of these films, resulting in a few jump
scares but very little in the way of tension.
Thankfully, there’s a fair amount of laughs as the increasingly
uncomfortable weekend unfurls for our protagonist. Daniel Kaluuya is solid as the lead even if
he isn’t given much to do outside of act uncomfortable and mildly
terrified. Allison Williams, and her
dead eyes, is perfect for what the role calls for, which is very little. Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener are
given fun roles, which they clearly relish, but there is practically mustache
twirling unsettling from the get go. As
a result, there is a very little surprise about where any of these characters
end up. LaKeith Stanfield is given the
best role in the film as Chris friend who spends the majority of the film
telling him there’s something seriously off about the situation. It’s a credit to Jordan Peele’s talent that
he can make you overlook these short coming and deliver an enjoyable film. Get Out isn’t a hallmark in horror
filmmaking, the majority of hardcore horror buffs may walk out disappointed,
but it’s a solid debut.
B+
