Feature Review:

GET OUT
written & directed by Jordan Peele

If you were a betting man, how much would you have laid down on one of the guys from Key & Peele being a great horror filmmaker? As a betting man myself, I can tell you the exact number-- $0.00. We would have all missed out on a shit-ton of money. But seriously, let's give Jordan Peele some credit here. This was no Keanu.

Like recent flicks from first-time horror filmmakers, Get Out works because it's more than a horror movie. The Babadook was about how hard it is to raise a child.  The VVitch was about religion in American society. Under the Shadow was about the effects of war. Here, the subject is clearly race-- or more specifically how white people view and treat black people in America. I, of course, will avoid too many spoilers as the film itself when reveal much more insight on the matter than this silly, little review will, but I think the average viewer can gather the race thing pretty easily from any of the trailers... or from the angry reaction from any of your closest, most racist friends when asked about the film.

And despite what Samuel L. Jackson says, Daniel Kaluuya was brilliant as our empathetic protagonist. In fairness, Jackson didn't say Kaluuya was not brilliant in the role as his commentary was more about the casting a British actor over an African American. But Daniel doesn't need me to defend him. He handled that himself, brilliantly as well: “I resent that I have to prove that I’m black... I’m dark-skinned, bro. When I’m around black people I’m made to feel ‘other’ because I’m dark-skinned,” he added. “I’ve had to wrestle with that, with people going ‘You’re too black.’ Then I come to America and they say, ‘You’re not black enough.’ I go to Uganda, I can’t speak the language. In India, I’m black. In the black community, I’m dark-skinned. In America, I’m British.”

It's really great casting all throughout from Bradley Whitford to Lakeith Stanfield to Catherine Keener to LilRel Howery to Allison Williams to all the bit parts of the supporting cast, all playing out a very poignant, yet funny, scary-ass, well-directed story. And it's one very relevant to this Trumped-up world that we live in today.  And the comedy plays well, as it's sincerely funny, but not overdone to take away from the really strong horror going on. This is just a really great film from start to finish and I can't recommend it enough. If I had any criticism of it, it would be maybe that it didn't push things far enough when... Oh, never mind. I'm not spoiling shit. You'll know what I mean when you see it. Go see it now or GET OUT of my page!!

GRADE: A