Good horror movies are hard to come by, and even harder to make. The same can be said about good comedies, and mixing the two genres can result in something great, or something horrible. Luckily, “Get Out” the directorial debut of Jordan Peele, one half of the sketch comedy group Key and Peele, accomplishes the mix of the two genres. The movie stars Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, an African-American about to meet his white girlfriend’s parents for the first time. Once Chris makes it to his girlfriend Rose’s (Allison Williams) parents house, he slowly realizes there’s something seriously suspicious going on with her family. That’s all I really want to say about the plot of the movie, because half of the fun of this movie is watching it with little information of the plot. But, I can still talk about why this movie was so great, especially when it comes to writing, directing and acting.
When it comes to smart writing in movies, the last genre I usually look to is horror. However, this movie is one of the few examples to feature really smart and satirical writing about the culture of racism in the United States. This is a horror movie with a main character that makes smart and educated choices with the information he is presented. Peele, who wrote the movie, does not waste any line of dialogue. Everything said in one way or another is paid off, which adds to this movie’s re-watchability. He is able to sprinkle in very subtle and interesting satirical content, especially that about race throughout the movie. This is a genuinely original plot, that takes a different angle to the horror/thriller genres that has not been seen yet.
The acting in this movie really elevates that great script to amazing. There is not one performance I didn’t like, from the leads down to small parts. But the standout performance of the movie goes to LilRel Howery, who plays Chris’ cousin Rod. He provides the needed comedic relief to this movie. He is absolutely hilarious in this movie, and really steals the show. Besides him, I really loved the performance by Allison Williams as Rose, and especially the lead Daniel Kaluuya, who provides a realistic, grounded performance.
There’s really not much to say about this movie besides see it. I had a blast watching this movie. It encapsulated me from the start to finish, with a really great and original idea, execution and acting. I loved this movie, and is an instant horror classic to me.
