 Tagline: Just because you're invited, doesn't mean you're welcome. When Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a young African-American man, visits his white girlfriend's (Allison Williams) family estate, he becomes ensnared in the more sinister, real reason for the invitation. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined. This speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of The Visit, Insidious series and The Gift) and the mind of Jordan Peele (Key & Peele) is equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary. Storyline: Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parent's for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined. Written by Anonymous Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, May 15, 2017 Odd, unique, scary, funny, exhilarating, violent...these are just a few of the adjectives that describe Jordan Peele's Get Out, the story of a young African-American and his unique experiences while meeting his white girlfriend's affluent family. Peele, of Key & Peele fame, sets aside the funny business that most associate with his persona and, in his directorial debut, dazzles with a narrative that balances expert characterization and timely social commentary with bone-chilling Horror. The film plays with an unnerving edge and exponentially progresses towards its shocking climax, lulling the viewer and the character into a false sense of security and only gradually cranking up the oddity until the film explodes in its third act, as truths are revealed, as the story turns upside down. Simultaneously smart and thrilling, it makes for a great watch and portends great things for its writer/director. Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is a young African-American and aspiring professional photographer. He's dating a white girl named Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). The relationship has progressed to the point that Rose believes it's time for Chris to meet her parents. He's nervous at the prospect, fearing they will reject him for his race, but she reassures them they're good, open-minded people with no racial animosity. They arrive, and Chris is welcome with open arms. But the situation rubs him the wrong way. While Rose's parents Dean (Bradley Whitford), a neurosurgeon, and Missy (Catherine Keener), a therapist and hypnotist, treat him with respect, he becomes gradually more uncomfortable. It doesn't help when Rose's uneven, oddly behaved brother (Caleb Landry Jones), arrives and exacerbates Chris' discomfort. The help around the house is black, and Chris gets the feeling that there's something off about everyone around him. A large gathering of Armitage family friends arrives, and while Chris is treated "well," he can't help but feel as if there's something wrong in the way he's approached and spoken to. Things get more mysterious, and dangerous, as Chris comes to realize that what he's experiencing is far more than social awkwardness. Peele carefully crafts the movie in such a way that, at least in the second act and arguably all the way through to the end, it's never quite clear what is real, what is not. Once the second act begins, the movie takes on a drastically different tone, one in which, after Chris has been "hypnotized," there's a surreal quality about the way he sees things. People behave oddly. Everything feels "off." Is it a byproduct of his reactionary mind, fearing the worst in white people, or is it just as simple as well-meaning individuals who have yet to make the proper connection between their hearts and their words, who stumble about to stay on the right side of political correctness? The movie again takes on a third gear and substantially different styling in its third act, too. Peele leaves the audience on its toes, crafting a true three-act story that sees Chris pushed through the ringer emotionally and physically alike. His fears materialize, but fears he never could have imagined materialize, too. It's brilliant plotting and storytelling. The movie feels always transformative, unafraid of pushing boundaries and certainly unafraid of making rather big leaps from one style to another, from one layer of commentary to another. The film's balance between keen social commentary and straight action and horror elements give it a very unique flavor. Peele's ability to find that middle ground between cinematic excitement and artful manipulation of the medium to comment on social issues is superb. The film is never too overt, never too covert; it's beautifully balanced between "fun" and "smart," "edgy" and "purposeful," a multifaceted balance that few films have ever achieved. As the narrative is balanced in a controlled but unpredictable and slyly evocative manner, so too is the lead performance. While Jordan Peele, who is unquestionably the star here, lays the groundwork, his lead actor, Daniel Kaluuya, interprets the material with striking efficiency and depth. His apprehensions are tangible at the beginning, his confusion and discomfort in the second, and his fear but determination in the third. It's a solid journey, not a transformational character arc but certainly an adaptive one. Kaluuya understands the character and Peele's demands for him very well, and Peele compliments that commitment and his actor's mastery with superlative direction that sees the meshing of Daniel Kaluuya's performance with Peele's uncanny knack for capturing it in a way that accentuates it, draws attention to the necessary points of emphasis with a natural grace and clarity that suits the material and the film medium equally well. This is the character-driven Thriller near its best, blending deeply rooted social issues with scares that results in a unique creation from a first-time filmmaker. Get Out might not be a cinematic master work, but it certainly approaches that lofty level. Smart and timely on one hand, gripping and scary on the other, very unique, and backed up by near flawless writing and directing and a top-class performance from its lead, there's precious little not to love about Jordan Peele's debut feature Get Out. Universal's Blu-ray is equally capable, offering rock-solid 1080p video and 5.1 lossless audio paired with a few quality supplements. Very highly recommended. Trivia:
[CSW] -4.3- This reviewer said it better than I could: This was a superbly executed horror film. The chilling moments were chilling. The laughable moments were intentional, because typically when you're laughing during a horror film, we all know you are not laughing with, but at the film. The acting was flawless: from Daniel Kaluuya (Chris Washington / boyfriend / protagonist) to Allison Williams (Rose Armitage / girlfriend / procurer) to Catherine Keener (Missy Armitage / Mother / psychiatrist / hypnotherapist), the actors brought so many levels to their performances. I was especially impressed with Keener and Bradley Whitford's (Dean Armitage / Father / neurosurgeon) ability to go from warm, parental figures to subtly menacing to their ultimate terrifying performance. The fact that they were able to include the old hypnosis trope, and make it fresh and horrifying in 2017, was worthy of applause in and of itself. I am so impressed with Jordan Peele (director / writer) and his first foray into horror. He managed to make a suspenseful horror film that also made you think. I applaud Mr. Peele, the cast, and crew. Best film I've seen in quite some time!. [V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - D-Box (added 02/14/2018) [Show Spoiler] Cast Notes: Daniel Kaluuya (Chris Washington), Allison Williams (Rose Armitage), Catherine Keener (Missy Armitage), Bradley Whitford (Dean Armitage), Caleb Landry Jones (Jeremy Armitage), Marcus Henderson (Walter), Betty Gabriel (Georgina), Lakeith Stanfield (Andrew Logan King), Stephen Root (Jim Hudson), LilRel Howery (Rod Williams [as Lil Rel Howery]), Ashley LeConte Campbell (Lisa Deets), John Wilmot (Gordon Greene), Caren L. Larkey (Emily Greene [as Caren Larkey]), Julie Ann Doan (April Dray), Rutherford Cravens (Parker Dray). IMDb Rating (02/20/18): 7.7/10 from 257,186 users
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