Get Out is a 2017 American horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele. It stars Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, a black man who uncovers a disturbing secret when he meets the family of his white girlfriend (Allison Williams). Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, and Catherine Keener co-star.
I didn’t feel like I wanted to watch this movie for the longest time, despite the really great reviews I kept hearing about it. I finally did watch it this afternoon. As you may know by now the movie’s plot is about this black dude, Chris who is dating a white girl, Rose, and after several months, she is taking him to meet her family. The racial undertones in this movie is awesome to note; nothing is overt or in your face. The sense of tension and dread is given a boost when just outside her family’s estate, their car hits a deer and as it dies, the couple call the cops. The cop’s racism is clear to see but Rose deflects the paper trail it can cause by standing up to the cop when he asks for Chris id (she was driving).
Despite her parents warmly greeting and welcoming him, Chris is soon feeling awkward as his blackness is clearly out in the open. Having just met Rose’s parents, neurosurgeon Dean and hypnotherapist Missy, and her brother Jeremy who is a medical student make discomfiting comments about black people. Missy helps cure him of his smoking with just one hypnosis session. Yet the strange behaviour of the black “help” housekeeper Georgina and groundskeeper Walter makes him feel on the edge. Dozens of wealthy white people arrive for the Armitages’ annual get-together, and almost all of them are rich white people who are so eager to meet Chris and comment on aspects of his blackness. Chris meets the only other black person there, Logan King, who acts strangely and is married to a much older white woman.
When he takes a photo of Logan to send to his friend & TSA agent Rod, but the flash causes Logan to confront Chris aggressively and tell him to get out. The others take Logan in a room and post a session with Missy, he is back to his calm self and Dean claims Logan had an epileptic seizure. While Rose & Chris talk away from the house, there is a silent auction for Chris. Rod recognizes Logan as Andre Hayworth. Suspecting a conspiracy, Rod goes to the police but is derided. Chris convinces Rose to leave but finds lots of photos of her with other men, all black. He tries to leave the house but is confronted by her family and she reveals that she is in on it too. What is the it?
Chris tries to attack Jeremy but Missy activates a post-hypnotic trigger that causes Chris to lose control of his body and fall unconscious. He awakens strapped to a chair in the basement. A video presentation featuring Rose’s grandfather Roman explains that the family transplants the brains of white people into black bodies; the consciousness of the host remains in the “sunken place”, watching but powerless. Hudson tells Chris he wants his body so he can gain sight and Chris’s artistic talents. Chris is able to overcome his situation and attacks and kills Dean, Missy & Jeremy and then drives away, only to hit Georgina – who is possessed by the soul of Rose’s grandmother. She awakes and causes the car to crash and Rose shoots at Daniel.
An armed Rose apprehends him with Walter, possessed by Roman. Chris awakens Walter with his phone flash. Walter takes Rose’s rifle, shoots her and then himself. Chris begins to strangle Rose but stops after what apparently is a police car arrives. However, it is revealed to be Rod, arriving in a TSA car, and he and Chris drive away. We assume that an injured Rose dies of blood loss.
What a crazy concept. Although the social commentary is brilliant and the storyline original, I found the pacing a bit odd in the film. There are some genuinely scary – not ghost or monster related though – moments but I was bored through some of it. I give this film a 7.5 outta 10!