The following is going to be as spoiler free as possible. However, you may be able to figure out what's going on in Get Out after reading, so keep that in mind.
We're not sure if you've heard this, but Get Out is a really good movie. If you don't believe our glowing review of it, perhaps any of the 139 other reviews on Rotten Tomatoes will persuade you to believe that it's actually that good. There has yet to be a single bad review of the movie. We're not even sure how that's possible, and yet, here we are.
What exactly did Jordan Peele do in his directorial and solo writing debut that made the movie so utterly unbelievable? He made a horror movie that will scare the hell out of you. He wrote some of the most current and important social commentary in recent memory. He also made a satire that's not without laugh-out-loud moments. Here are just a few of the things that Get Out does right.
It's A Horror Movie For Non-Horror Fans
Technically, Get Out will be classified as a horror movie. However, if horror is not the genre that draws you to the theater, that's ok. If you're expecting a gory, violent bloodbath, don't. While there is a bit of that, the vast majority of Get Out does not find its terror in violence, it comes entirely from the unease that our hero has to deal with throughout the entire film. It doesn't have to make you jump in order to scare you. Instead, it does the job on an emotional level, by causing you to feel that something is wrong, while showing you very little.
The Big Reveal Makes Everything That Came Before It Better
The basic premise of Get Out is clear from the trailers. A young white girl brings her black boyfriend to meet the family, and things clearly don't go well for him. While you may have an idea about exactly what goes wrong, the fact is that the film has done a great job of hiding the true story of what's going on, and when it finally does reveal its intentions, it makes everything that came before it, which was already unsettling, utterly terrifying in retrospect. You may want to see the movie a second time just to see everything the movie does to mess with you. In fact, it might be ever scarier when you know what's going on.
It's A Modern Take On The Material
Is Get Out a story about race? Absolutely. The plot of Get Out is entirely a horror movie based in racism. However, Get Out comes at the topic from an entirely new direction that we don't normally see. It doesn't preach. At no point is there ever really an overt discussion. Racism isn't always obvious, which is why it can be so insidious and that's the brilliance of Get Out. If the villains of the movie were members of the KKK it would be a much easier story to deal with. The fact that they're not is what makes the movie truly scary.
It's Legitimately Funny
Get Out might be primarily a horror movie, but it was written and directed by Jordan Peele, who is more commonly known for his comedy. While Get Out won't have you laughing quite as much as say, Keanu, the film is not without humor. Lil Rel Howery plays Rod, the best friend of our hero who figures out that his friend is in trouble, and does what he can to help. His scenes will make you laugh out loud, and act as a welcome break in the film's otherwise constant tension.
