Get Out

You just know when something isn’t right, don’t you? That weird feeling creeps under your skin and doesn’t let your mind relax. Your brain is telling you… Get Out.

The second I saw Daniel Kaluuya’s face plastered over the Get Out ad, I knew this film would be worth watching.  I first saw Kaluuya live on stage in Blue/Orange, exploding with passion and emotion with every line delivered; vital attributes for the protagonist of Get Out, directed by actor and comedian Jordan Peele.

The hostile atmosphere wrapped itself around the audience. We were on edge but didn’t quite know what to expect. Peele had us right where he wanted us; feeling just as uncomfortable as Andrew (Lakeith Stanfield), a young black man, did whilst walking through an American suburb during the opening scene of Get Out. Something didn’t feel right and I was definitely more shocked than Andrew was about what happened next; he was out of his comfort zone, but I was hoping for the best. With themes including race, belonging and missing persons already being introduced, the tone had been set for the rest of the film and I realised I was in for much more than I had expected.

Peele does an excellent job in exposing his audience to contemporary racism, whilst authenticating its origins in a subtle yet powerful manner. Although you may not notice it after only watching Get Out once, the derogatory term Black Buck, slave auctions and cotton picking are all apparent in Get Out.

The extremely normal atmosphere at Chris’s girlfriend, Rose’s (Allison Williams), family home, where the difference between black and white people is openly discussed (because her family of course, are not racist) only makes us realise that whatever it is that is going on here just isn’t normal. Rose insisted it’d be fine, Chris was uncertain but kept a positive mind and Chris’s best friend, Rod (LilRel Howery) wasn’t having any of it from the get go.

Peele injects his harrowing horror with shots of humor whilst we learn that a few back hand compliments and hugs that last too long are just a quick flash of what Chris is about to endure.

Peele hits the nail on the head with this one; exposing the realities of white middle-class American delusions in contrast to the realities experienced by many people of colour in the USA.

Strangled by devastation and defeat, the closing scene leaves you with an understanding of what it is to be one of the minority.

Will it ever be possible for the minority to Get Out of this sunken space?