By Mac Spain
Get Out is directed by Jordan Peele, who some of you may now from the terrific comedy sketch show, Key & Peele. This is Peele’s first ever time behind the camera, his directional debut! And my what a film it is… Completely and utterly balls out insane, to be honest with you. It’s this weird mishmash of genres and tones that you really wouldn’t expect to mix well, but it’s handled ever so carefully, with everything sprinkled in just the right measure. It’s respectful of its subject matter, whilst also managing to highlight the humour in it all and not take itself too seriously.
Get Out tells the story of an interracial couple, Chris and Rose. They’ve been dating for quite a while now and have reached the point where it’s time to meet the parents. Rose invites Chris for a weekend getaway so he can become better acquainted with her mother and father. The only problem is Rose hasn’t actually gotten around to telling them that her boyfriend is black, and that makes Chris feel very uneasy. When they first arrive all seems well, it’s a little awkward, but after all that’s to be expected when you meet the parents. As time goes on though Chris starts to feel as though there’s a lot more going on with Rose’s family than initially meets the eye, not to mention the strange and unusual behaviour from their groundskeeper and cleaner, who also happen to be black.
Chris is played by Daniel Kaluuya who I’ve previously seen in such films as Sicario and Kick Ass 2, with this being the first time that I’ve ever seen him in a leading role. But I can tell you now that Kaluuya really must have indulged himself in this role quite a bit, because he hones every single moment that he’s on screen for. It’s also worth noting that Daniel Kaluuya is an English actor who was born in London, and yet during the film he speaks with a perfect American accent. Having said that though, I really haven’t got a bad word to say about anyone who was involved in this movie. Everybody had a part to play and they all played it to a more than satisfactory standard.
My only real gripe with Get Out would have to be the unveiling of its twist at the end and it is a great twist, don’t get me wrong. But earlier on I mentioned the family’s groundkeeper and cleaner behaving rather oddly in the earlier portion of film, and a lot of this behaviour is never fully explained. There’s definitely a few plot holes in there, but saying that it’s not exactly anything that’s unforgivable. Personally I loved Get Out for being just so refreshing and different, but I can imagine some people will simply label it as weird and switch off within minutes. It’s really not going to be for everyone, but I on the other hand will be rewarding Jordan Peele’s Get Out a respectable 8/10! I very much look forward to seeing what the future holds for him as a director.
