Film A masterclass in craft and purpose.
The 2010s were amazing years for excellent debut horror films by auteur directors, holy crap.
Chris Washington is a Black photographer with a white girlfriend and the two are going to meet her parents. Rose, the girlfriend, assures Chris her family is woke and not racist, but things start to crack that Rose wasn't aware of without Chris's presence or perspective.
The film is just amazing as a piece of cinema. The acting is fantastic, and I feel like acts of sorcery were performed with a couple of scenes where...let's just say facial emotions are terrifyingly incongruous with the characters' dialogue and the performers pulling it off are scary. Talented, but eesh. The film is well-shot with strong visual iconography and memorable scenes, and it's packed with symbolism and foreshadowing.
As a horror thriller mystery, the film is entertaining and scary, but it's also an incisive piece of racial commentary. The film attacks the privileged mindset that "racism is over" (rationalized for any reason) by showing how prominent—and how monstrous—the blind spots of self-identified liberal allies can be. This isn't a film about redneck Baptist bigots. It's a film about how privilege can stand in the way of enlightenment. The ultimate reveal of what's going on in Rose's family is brilliant, not only because its fantastical nature nonetheless instantly fills in the blanks in a satisfying way—of course that was the situation!—but because it serves as an uncomfortably plausible setup. Who's to say, in a world where the thing could happen, that it wouldn't? And in what ways is it happening more metaphorically in reality? The film could be considered hyperbolic and one-sided, but no argument can afford to waffle with itself, and the commentary about the insidiousness of racism is only effective because it's presented in this stark manner. There's a place for telling stories about progress, and there's also very much a place to remind people not to get too self-congratulatory.
I think this is just a stellar film. It's scary, artfully crafted, and serves as a warning and reminder about the more subtle presences of racism in our society.
Film Everything I Want in a Horror Film
I'm watching TV in the living room with my Dad and he suddenly changes channels and we land on Get Out 2017. We check the rating and see it's been rated 4-stars, the highest possible. It's been a long time since I've played or watched anything in the horror genre that actually scared me or had me on the edge of my seat. This movie does that. It avoids the pitfalls so many other horror movies fall into: idiotic characters, nonsensical and pretentious imagery, repetitive and pointless Gorn, and a lack of creativity.
Chris is not stupid and making him a great Audience Surrogate and be rooted for. Whenever he makes a questionable decision to which he's clearly relunctant, it's due to the manipulations of those around him, which makes for some shocking moments.
The setting itself is unique, focusing on an aspect of racism many ignore and the film is surprisingly subtle about it, or at the very least, aren't heavy-handed to where it detracts from your entertainment. This in of itself is worthy of praise, especially in today's world where many works are so Anvilicious and myopic.
The film starts off as very atmospheric. There's a sense of dread that the audience and Chris himself recognize instantly, simply through the visuals and mannerisms of the characters. The setting is like if you took a southern plantation and it was inhabited by the most Innocently Insensitive people you could find. The villains are very friendly to where its creepy. Instead of making the villains act crazy, they make them seem eerily calm and smug after The Reveal. Also, its use of Bitch in Sheep's Clothing was well done, as I never saw it coming at all.
Rod, who delivers the funniest lines in the film, is a great switch from Chris, as despite being away from all the events occurring, his Genre Savvy traits and Undying Loyalty to Chris make him endearing and easy to root for. In fact, because Chris is an Audience Surrogate, it feels like Rod is trying to rescue YOU from the hell you're facing.
The final act is probably something many directors rarely indulge in, the Power Fantasy. Chris becomes an absolute badass and proceeds to get revenge as he tries to *ahem* Get Out. That's not to say there's no tension and everything's a cakewalk for Chris. The entire time I was screaming and yelling on the edge of my seat for Chris to successfully escape and stick it to the villains.
Get Out 2017. Go see it. Now. Or don't, it's up to you.
Film Run Rabbit Run
Get Out is a 2017 horror film concerning an interracial couple. In the film, Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is convinced by his girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) to accompany her on a visit to her parents' estate, though he is adamant about it, because she had neglected to mention to her parents that he was black. She assures him that they aren't racist, so he complies. The Armitage family seems pretty affable at first. Sure, they say things that are slightly skewered, but for the most part they seem upfront. However, Chris begins to notice that something is amiss when the Armitages' black employees seem off. Eventually, he stumbles upon a hidden conspiracy that shrouds the entire town.
For the most part, I loved the film. As you may or may not know, I am a fan of horror films, so I jumped at the chance of seeing this film once it was being advertised. The film is suspenseful in that you never know how the characters are going to behave. You know that something is deathly wrong with the town, but the film keeps you on the edge of your seat, and never gives you too much to decipher until its end. As this film was also written and directed by a known comedian, there are some humorous moments thrown in primarily coming from Chris' friend, Rodney (who is without a doubt the best character in the film). However, the comedy neatly intertwines with the horror aspect, and it never detracts from it. It is a horror film first and foremost. And it most certainly delivers on the thrills. My only gripe is that the trailers for the film displayed a deer skeleton roaring at Chris in what seems like a black void. Many speculated on what role the deer skeleton played in the film, but it's not even in the final product. Maybe it will be included as a deleted scene; I surely hope so.
The characters are also great. You can easily put yourself in Chris' shoes when the situation draws dire, as well as sympathize with his plight. Rose Armitage is also a pretty great character. However, there is a certain revelation that throws her characterization into question. I don't wish to give away what that twist was, but what I will say is that it was so predictable, that I wished that they wouldn't have gone that route. Her parents are also pretty quirky when you first see them, but they also have their hidden depths. The film also foreshadows several different plot points that aren't immediately made evident unless you apply much thought into them. For instance, the groundskeeper is running in the dark for some reason. A few scenes later, and it totally makes sense as to why he was doing so.
However, towards the end, I found that the plot was getting too predictable. Once you had collected all of the clues, it comes as no surprise what the Armitage family truly has in store for Chris. It's not to say that it's an inherently bad twist, but I had gotten several of my predictions correct, that it disappointed me that that was the outcome. I also commend the film for how it tackles racism. Rather than it being out in the open, it is subtle. Rose's parents ask Chris a series of questions that are passive aggressive, but they still keep it nicely tucked away. There is also a scene in which Rose and Chris hit a deer. Even though Rose was driving, a white officer inquires Chris on his driver's license. Scenes like that show how racism isn't always obvious at first glance.
Otherwise, this is a well-executed horror film that I highly recommend. If it's not for you, I recommend M. Night Shymalan's The Visit, which is a psychological horror film with similar plot points.