Jordan Peele seems like a man with the world at his feet right now. Already a prolific actor and experienced writer, this film – his directorial debut – is on its way to making $200 million worldwide off the back of a $4.5 million budget, not to mention a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And this is for good reason: Get Out is a brilliant satire/horror film, and one that is written and directed with absolute precision.
Just the notion of a horror comedy about racism should set off warning lights for any would-be screenwriter. This is the kind of film that’s difficult to pull off. Any slight misstep and you could veer into gauche exploitation, or at worst, flat-out offensiveness. And yet Get Out is pitch-perfect. Every single moment is handled beautifully, and Peele’s script knows exactly when to back off and when to push the pedal to the floor.
I haven’t seen a film quite like this, however the original version of The Stepford Wives comes close. Get Out was released by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse productions, a studio that can easily be described as the modern-day saviour of the low-budget, major-release film, even if they most recently subjected us to the latest M. Night Shyamalan misfire, Split.
Kaluuya is great as a man going through a deeply traumatic meet-the-parents experience, whilst Williams is confident and genuine as Rose. Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener have an excellent time, and truly excel at being ever-so-creepy.
A brilliant and honest comedy with horrific undertones, Get Out cleverly uses its genre trappings to create a bold and unique film. Where Colossal made me uncomfortable with its exploration of darker themes seen through a sci-fi/comedy lens, this film hits every beat perfectly. I can’t think of anything that would make this film better.