Movie Review: Get Out does thrillers right

So let's cut to the chase.  Go see Get Out!  Now to the review.

Get Out is a very well-constructed psychological  thriller that keeps you engaged from start to finish.  Following a brief intro scene that sets the ominous tone of the movie the story starts with an interracial couple Chris and Rose played by Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams having pillow talk and planning a weekend trip to visit her family who happen to be white but very open to diversity; much to Chris's pessimism.  Race is immediately introduced as a central theme in this movie and quickly rears its ugly head following an incident on the highway involving a police officer.  

Once the two reach her family's secluded home all appears well and events unfold as Rose said they would.  Chris gets pulled into a tour highlighting culturally significant artifacts from around the globe and awkward statements on race, learns her mother is a psychiatrist specializing in hypnosis, and meets her nutty ass brother. Thanks to Rose's preparation Chris plays it cool and survives the afternoon.

The movie is heavy in foreshadowing almost from the beginning and that actually adds to the fun as Chris is a character shrouded in common sense.  Because of this Chris and the audience become one as we see the same shit he sees and share similar reactions.  By his second day with Rose's family both the audience, Chris and his homeboy Rod (comedian Lil Rel) are saying get the hell out.  Unfortunately it is no easy task as more truths are revealed and Chris realizes the gravity of his situation.  

The script is genius and has little to no plot holes.  In fact it is grounded in common sense which makes the movie more enjoyable.  For example, when Rose's nutty ass brother Jeremy is introduced Chris immediately goes on the defensive when he attempts to demonstrate a martial arts move on him.  In lesser movies this moment may have come off awkward or even campy but Chris did what most sane adults would do and nicely told Jeremey I'm not the one (I'm paraphrasing here) - nicely enough that Jeremy got the message and swallowed a chill pill.

Speaking of Jeremy, imagine if the Joker took a night off to kick it at home with his family to meet big sis' new black boyfriend, share funny family stories, and debate the effectiveness of Juijitsu...  pretty terrifying if you think about it.  His eyes said he was a problem and Chris knew it as quickly as the audience did, but not to what extent.

The writers did a great job with reveals which seemed more effective than a traditional single plot twist.  Again, a connected common sense was the real theme here.  Each reveal wasn't a huge dramatic event and did not disrupt the pace of the storytelling once Chris knew he was in a jam.  Each reveal was satisfying and seemed organic - nothing felt forced and it was gratifying that Chris' instincts aligned with the audience's.  It felt interactive and appropriate for a movie with themes such as hypnosis and being along for the ride.  Get Out felt like the love child of a video game and Being John Malcavich.

Having only been recently introduced to Kaluuya in the Netflix series Black Mirror, it is evident he has a lot to offer as an actor.  Williams on the other hand was convincing and would definitely make the cut if I was to take a white woman home to meet my family.  The Armitage parents played by Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford went from cool to creepy to sinister real quick and yes...Chris was paying attention.  

In the end this movie is wildly entertaining and definitely worth spending your hard earned date money on.  Just be sure to take good notes in case you ever end up in an interracial relationship. Ask yourself what would Chris do if shit gets real because I  wouldn't want you going off for the weekend and being hypnotized into becoming a sex slave.  

-J