In an age when most horror movies feel unoriginal and repetitive, “Get Out” ranks as one of the best of the decade, mainly because of its winning combination of a script and moments that don’t feel forced. So when the suspense hits us, it makes it all the more powerful.
It stars Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, and Allison Williams Rose, an interracial couple who decide to visit her parents for a weekend at their estate in New York. Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener costar as her parents who run a very interesting home, so to speak.
They have a couple of black servants, who may or may not be what they appear to be. On this particular weekend, there’s a huge family gathering in which all of the relatives seem to welcome their relationship, but Chris suspects there’s something going on beneath the surface of their bizarre demeanors.
Rose’s mother is a therapist of sorts and she puts Chris under some weird hypnosic spell. Once he’s in, he enters a virtual world that you’d expect in the Twilight Zone. It makes for some genuinely creepy and effective scenes.
Perhaps one of the best elements of the film is Lil Rel Howery as Chris’ best friend, an airport security guard who provides much of the comic relief and steals virtually every scene he’s in. I would like to see a movie about his character.
It felt great to be seeing a horror movie that creates characters, evokes haunting atmosphere, provides moments of wickedly dark humor and actually tells a story, instead of hammering the audience with mindless, cheap thrills.
Another thing the movie does well is play on certain racial themes. It finds a good balance between making social commentary and being comical at the same time without stepping over into taboo.
Writer/director Jordan Peele of “Keanu” fame has crafted an intelligent, suspenseful, hilarious psychological thriller. Looking for something that plays against expectations and still be enjoyable? You bet.
Grade: A-
Rated R for violence, bloody images, and language including sexual references.
Hall is a syndicated columnist in South Georgia.