There was a collective gasp across various social media channels when the trailer for Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” dropped this past fall.
Tens of millions engaged with the clip – mainly because they had never seen anything quite like it. A horror/comedy hybrid that plays on racism and implicit bias as a premise to invoke fear with laughter mixed in is as ambitious as it is audacious.
The teaser for “Get Out” resonated for the questions and intrigue the film posed, more than anything else. Will it be a parody? Will it really be scary? Can it be scary and funny at the same time? Will it be corny? Will it scare everybody or just black people? Will white people get it – or be offended? How will people feel watching a horror flick where the brother doesn’t get killed off in the opening frame? Wait, will the brother be killed off in the opening frame?
If cleverly done, “Get Out” could be a springboard for dialogue at a time when racial tensions seem to be boiling over in wake of Trump and the rise of the Alt Right’s unveiled white supremacy movement.
The topic is sensitive – and the territory is unchartered. A movie presented for mainstream appeal, while addressing the anxieties that come with both subtle and overt racism with a side of humor seemed destined to fail, even if the clip had viewers hoping with all of their might that Peele got it right. It’s been several months, but now fans can see for themselves when “Get Out” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday (Feb. 24).
Best known as half of the creative duo behind Comedy Central’s Emmy Award-winning sketch comedy series, “Key & Peele,” Peele uses his directorial debut to deliver a hard hit to Hollywood that will probably send his stock soaring. So much so, that he’ll be forgiven for co-starring (with Keegan Michael Key) in “Keanu” – the attempted slapstick about a kitten who moonlights as a gang leader/drug lord.
“Get Out” begins with the “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” premise as college student Rose prepares to bring her black boyfriend Chris to her family’s upstate New York estate to meet them for the first time. Chris is anxious, because he has a feeling that Rose hasn’t told them he is black.
And that’s where the similarities between the films end. Chris arrives to become the catalyst for a bone-chilling experience that personifies his worst nightmare and then some.
To say anymore would surely deliver spoilers. So that’s where the synopsis will end, except to say that Peele gets it mostly right – especially in his decision to highlight the danger of the nuances of progressives so comfortable in their assumed space as “well meaning” that they don’t recognize their own role in perpetuating bigotry.
Strong performances aid Peele tremendously in successfully executing his intention for the film.
“Get Out” stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford, Betty Gabriel, comedian Lil Rel Howery and LaKeith Stanfield of “Atlanta” fame. Also among the costars is Jennings native and Yale School of Drama graduate Marcus Henderson.
As an ensemble, each actor is concise in his or her respective role. Together they present a cohesive unit to bring all of the elements of “Get Out” together – from the fear factor to the funny.
The film drags as the buildups for suspense labor far too long, but in just about every instance the wasted time is redeemed when the action hits and the thrills kick in.
And while more punchlines would’ve been welcome, Peele knew he was skirting tricky territory and didn’t want to push “Get Out” into farce mode, which was very much appreciated.
Get Out opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, Feb. 24. The film is rated R with a running time of 105 minutes.
