Directed by: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Rated R, 103 minutes
Much like the movie it accompanies, the title “Get Out” is startling and suggestive. At once a command shouted at someone who doesn’t belong, it also serves as a warning, maybe even a plea. In the context of Jordan Peele’s (TV’s “Key and Peele”) new horror-comedy, it bears all its meanings simultaneously, reflecting the movie’s tone and the multiple angles from which Peele deftly tackles its themes. A true juggling act, “Get Out” is a remarkably well-balanced film, and a formidable debut from an inventive director.
The movie follows Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya, “Sicario”), a black photographer, and Rose Armitage (Allison Williams, “Girls”), his white girlfriend, as they visit Rose’s parents for the weekend. Chris is nervous, knowing that even the most liberal white people unconsciously behave differently around black people. Upon meeting Rose’s parents, Chris’s suspicions are confirmed: Dean (Bradley Whitford, “The West Wing”) speaks in out-of-character slang and makes an overly concerted effort to befriend Chris, while Missy (Catherine Keener, “Being John Malkovich”), more reserved, eyes Chris with mysterious scrutiny. Rose is embarrassed, but Chris shrugs it off; he expected as much.
What begins as an awkward meet-the-parents episode, however, soon turns terrifyingly surreal. Missy, a hypnotherapist, practices her craft on Chris, leaving him with unsettling thoughts. The black servants in the Armitage house, unnaturally formal in demeanor, perturb him in a way he can’t describe. And when a black guest at a family party has a disturbing outburst, Chris starts putting together the pieces of the mystery, and soon realizes he needs to escape.
It’s hard to say much more about the plot without spoiling key revelations, but that said, it’s not a movie that thrives on plot twists. Some key plot devices go unexplained, for instance, and the viewer understands the mystery of the Armitage house long before Chris catches on, almost making the film feel too patient. It’s irksome to watch Chris fail to see what we see while knowing he eventually will.
Luckily, the movie doesn’t busy itself building suspense for an obvious reveal, and Peele’s script makes it clear that Chris is no idiot. Significantly, the reason he takes so long to see what’s coming is that he perceives the early signs—an unplugged phone, uncomfortable questions from strangers, and so on—as the residue of racial tension, not of nefarious schemes. All of Chris’s decisions make perfect sense given what we know about him.
While the movie mostly avoids sudden surprises, it achieves a slow-burning terror, largely thanks to a host of memorable performances. Catherine Keener steals scenes as the eerily powerful Missy, while the romantic chemistry between Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams has the refreshing air of honesty to it. The actors in smaller parts do commendable work, too, with nary a weak spot among them. In particular, Betty Gabriel (“The Purge: Election Year”) startles as the Armitages’ maid, and Lil Rel Howery (“The Carmichael Show”) provides enthusiastic comic relief as Chris’s friend back home. Appearances from Caleb Landry Jones, Lakeith Stanfield, and Stephen Root, as well as Bradley Whitford’s turn as the proudly talkative Dean, also leave stinging impressions on us. Every role is significant, and every actor skillfully treads the line between overtness and subtlety.
It’s a remarkable feat for Peele to accomplish so much with his actors, to say nothing of the technical flourishes he employs to enhance the movie’s surreal horror. A peculiar use of music is especially notable, and intriguing shot compositions and dreamlike special effects heighten the tension throughout the film.
Ultimately, however, atop the impressive technique and airtight plot, beyond the curious symbolism and quality performances, lies a versatile treatment of racial themes. The comparison of Chris’s experience in everyday society to his ordeal at the Armitages’ house is obvious but not one-dimensional, touching on issues ranging from police bias to appropriation of black talent. Peele doesn’t just expose an issue; he turns it over, examining its different sides, and he doesn’t confine “Get Out” to any one genre, choosing instead a filmmaking style that is, for lack of a better word, diverse. And in doing so, he has given us a rewarding and satisfying movie experience, one that is as hard to categorize as it is to answer to.
Originally published in The Harvard Press on 3/10/17.