Horror films are often broad and complex with many subgenres and dedicated fans, but it isn’t often the term “horror comedy” is brought to our mouths, especially successfully.
Jordan Peele aims to bring audiences just that. In his directorial debut “Get Out,” Peele delivers the traditional horror and gore intertwined with love, humor and social justice along the way.
Though some may have preconceived notions and reservations about the horror genre, it becomes immediately clear Peele had something entirely new in store for his audience.
“Get Out” opens with a young man walking alone down a dimly lit street at night. Suddenly, a car appears and begins to follow him. Sensing he is in danger, he takes off down the street but is immediately struck by a masked figure who jumped from the car to pursue him. From this scene on, the audience becomes aware this film is not willing to follow any of its genre’s rules.
Peele makes an excellent point from the very beginning to unnerve the audience in order to perpetuate feelings of paranoia and isolation which stick with them.
Following the opening scene, the main characters are introduced more similarly to a romantic comedy than a thriller. Peele quite obviously takes fodder from various movie genres, but he does consistently add a striking and racially charged twist throughout.
The underlying theme begins subtly as the audience follows Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose (Allison Williams) preparing to visit Rose’s parents for weekend. Boyfriend Chris is nervous her parents will not accept him because of his race, but Rose gently reassures him he will be more than welcomed.
Despite a sudden mishap with a deer and being hassled by a local cop, Chris and Rose arrive at her parent’s estate and are welcomed into a happy and joyful home. Even though they do seem safe and content, Rose’s parents seem almost too excited for Chris’s arrival.
As the plot thickens, the tension and discomfort persists with Chris leading him to discover what could easily be one of the most inexplicable twists in recent cinematic history.
Though the story may seem sluggish at the beginning, it is easy to see how the seemingly painful behavior of Rose and her family are not so much different from the actual experiences of minorities to this day. Through his dramatization, Peele is able to draw attention to these social issues while simultaneously keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.
The last 20 minutes in particular are the most thrilling with twists at every corner. However, these action packed scenes are certainly not for the faint of heart. Although, in this time, Peele does an excellent job of reuniting his themes of comedy, horror and social justice once again.
The issues of race and its treatment in America are not left unattended, even though they could have been easy to neglect in such a complex film. Peele truly relates to the wide range of his audience and is purposeful to carve each character into their minds.
Kaluuya and Williams pair phenomenally well with and against each other throughout the film. Their performance remained unwavering even through the many twists that Peele interjected. They allowed the audience to become attached to their characters – which may be good or bad – depending on who the audience decides they’re rooting for.
This film was truly a refreshing break from the commonly whitewashed and groan-worthy horror flicks of days gone by. Along with the original soundtrack and frighteningly clear shots, this movie elicited an intense diversity of viewer reactions. Along the way, perhaps it showed viewers the aspect thrillers have been lacking could simply be just a different perspective.
