Cinema Spotlights

Monday, September 4, 2017

Jordan Peele Proves Talent Behind the Camera in Get Out


Starting his career in the skit show MAD, making a name for himself with Keegan-Micheal Key as the comedic duo Key and Peele to doing voice work in Storks and Captain Underpants, Jordan Peele makes his feature debut both writing and directing a horror film of a different kind.

After dating for five months, Chris (Daniel Kaluya) anxiously decides to meet the parents of his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams). His only concern is how they’ll react seeing their daughter who is white, dating a black man. To his surprise her father Dean (Bradly Whitford) and mother Missy (Catherine Keener) welcome him with open arms, including their rambunctious son Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones). Still, Chris can’t help but wonder that something about this place has a creepy stepford vibe particularly with every black person he comes across including the family maid and gardener. The deeper he explores the harder it becomes to get out and comprehend what is actually happening.

This is as good as horror movies can get. Peele has crafted a remarkably scary story with an underlying commentary that is also taken for a spin resulting in something raw and powerful. Good performances all around especially from Lil Rel Howery who stole the show as both a character and comic relief. Any flaws I have is that the cursing gets over-played and the film dangerously tread’s into Saw territory in one point but then again I wouldn’t call it flaws or nitpicks; more on the lines of reservations, as I wasn't keen on those decisions but it does not damper the film in the slightest.  

So, yes I give this film a big thumbs up but I wish to talk about the third act but can’t do it without giving away crucial details so SPOILER ALERT, for the following paragraph. If you haven’t seen the movie stop reading unless you don’t mind the ending ruined for you then by all means proceed.

Get Out is the anti-Being John Malcovich, in which both present a process of transporting someone’s mind into he body of another person. Both have a group of senior citizens who use this method to prolong their life targeting bodies who are younger, physically fit, and good-looking. In Get Out the group is none other than Rose’s entire family with Chris unknowingly auctioned off as the new vessel to a blind relative who prospers of being able to see again. This is diabolical looking at it in both cases but whereas Get Out, Chris manages to get out, hence the title of the film and destroy their means of mind or in this case brain transfer, the people on Malcovich get away with plan triumphantly. They would definitely get along with Rose’s clan sharing equally horrifying goals on escaping death. Catherine Keener is practically reprising her role from Malcovich as the femme fatale Maxine only this time instead of having a portal to help with the mind switch she employs a more practical method using hypnosis and a bit of brain surgery.(END OF SPOILERS)

I’d never thought I would say this, (with me being a chicken with scary films) but this is a legit good horror film and one of the best films of the year. Bravo Mr. Peele, can't wait to see what have in store next.

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