Review – Get Out (2017): An excellent fusion of racial satire and horror! (80%)

Jordan Peele’s (of ‘Key & Peele‘ fame) debut directorial is a must-watch for plenty of reasons. The social commentary made on the dark themes of racism, slavery and their implied horrors, the clever undercurrent of satirical humor, the eerily odd performances from the ensemble, the smart unfurling of twists, the Afro-American inspired music..pretty much everything deserves applause!

There is quite a bit of homage paid to certain films such as ‘The Stepford Wives‘ and ‘Rosemary’s Baby‘. The early scenes carry an unquestionable sense of mystery, the screenplay is laced with umpteen instances that raise ominous questions in the minds of viewers. This is not a film where the main character keeps taking one irrational decision after the other. The writing is spot-on, and the direction first-rate. Daniel Kaluuya aptly underplays his performance, which is exactly what the character Chris warrants.

‘Get Out‘ doesn’t exactly boast of a completely original storyline. Karyn Kusama’s ‘The Invitation‘ is another film that comes to mind, when it comes to the setting. Where Peele scores as writer is in some of those scenes where Chris encounters the dark-skinned servants of the house and a guest whose demeanor is increasingly unsettling. Deliciously packed at 104 minutes, the film leaves absolutely no room for second thoughts. The satire is never forced; it just meshes with the proceedings in a paranoid sort-of way.

Quite frankly, ‘Get Out‘ is the kind of film that is bound to fetch divisive feedback. People may not like the film for being in-your-face blunt at times, but thankfully it does not follow the regular tropes associated with a horror flick (such as jumpscares or bizarre flashback sequences). Instead, Peele requests the viewer to assimilate the characters, the decisions they take and their consequential impact. Overall, ‘Get Out‘ is indeed a remarkable debut which is well worth the late-night discussion as well as repeat-viewing.

Spoiler alert – The climactic showdown is delightfully messy with some spectacularly thought-out kills. Had to mention this, as the movie scores additional points on this front.