This is one of the more peculiar films I have watched recently. With a screenplay written and directed by half of the American sketch comedy duo Key & Peele, we are given a different perspective on the thriller. Combining shock treatment, with humour and racial drama, Get Out is well balanced, and a refreshing change to the usual formulaic content Hollywood churns out on a regular basis.
The film follows an interracial couple; Chris, a black man (Daniel Kaluuya) who is dating Rose, a white woman (Allison Williams). The entire plot follows their trip to visit Rose's parents, which immediately sets the tone with Chris' apparent uneasiness, and his question, of "Have you told them?". Much of the film provides some much needed social commentary on the awkwardness of many "forced" interracial interactions, where the majority feels a need to include the minority and impress them by name-dropping celebrity minority names etc.
But as a this is a thriller, the film takes a dark turn. Beginning sweet and happy, it swiftly becomes awkward and uneasy, at which point it escalates quickly towards an ending that is downright over-the-top and cultish. There are many jump scares, and this is generally achieved with brilliant camera work, the use of the musical score, and the mannerisms used by the actors; it is amazing how slightly different behaviour can easily lead to uneasiness.
The most surprising aspect of this film, however, came down to the use of comedy. Lil Rel Howery's role as Chris' friend and TSA Agent, is a welcome connection to the outside world, where the silliness of the plot is effectively mocked for the preposterous nonsense that it is. It allows the audience welcome breaks from the constant relenting tension that we feel in the main arc, but is also integral to the major storyline, as nearly every classic horror could be resolved with a car or mobile phone.
Casting-wise, I loved the casting choice of Allison Williams. She came across as genuine in her character's intentions and even when I thought I was losing my ability to empathise with her character she brought me back in, and got me in the edge of my seat. Daniel Kaluuya did well and was enjoyable to watch, but the rest of the cast could have done better if their eccentricities were a little less pronounced, where their actions were the focal point, rather than being able to draw conclusions from their outward appearance and mannerisms.
The film has many a plot hole, and the more that I think about it, the more questions that are raised. And the reveal of specific plot elements lack subtlety, to the point that you can predict much of how the film will progress. But the attitude with which it does so, and the timing, allows the audience to still revel in the comedy, the scares, and the self reflections within the social commentary.
A film that was brilliant, and yet horrible at the same time. Something you truly have to experience yourself to be able to understand.
Originally posted on: http://djin.nz/Kr7501