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Get Out (2017)

Director:
Jordan Peele
COUNTRY
USA
GENRE
Horror/Comedy
NORWEGIAN TITLE
Get Out
RUNNING TIME
103 minutes
Producer:
Sean McKittrick
Jason Blum
Edward H. Hamm Jr.
Jordan Peele
Screenwriter:
Jordan Peele


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Chris Washington Daniel Kaluuya
Rose Armitage Allison Williams
Missy Armitage Catherine Keener
Dean Armitage Bradley Whitford
Jeremy Armitage Caleb Landry Jones ½
Jim Hudson Stephen Dillane
Andre Hayworth / Logan King Lakeith Stanfield ½
Rod Williams Lil Rey Howery
Detective Latoya Erika Alexander

 

Review

With its creative story and angle, Get Out plays like an insidious cross between The Stepford Wives and Frankenstein, complete with a devious racial twist. The basic premise: Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) invites her black boyfriend Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) to a weekend at her upper-class parents' house, where her seemingly understanding and liberal family soon begin to act weirder and weirder. Or is it just Chris freaking out?

Writer/director Jordan Peele, in his directorial debut, shows immense talent and command over the medium. From the mood-setting opening scene, through a very atmospheric build-up and to the turning-point, Get Out is suffused with electrifying tension and captivating images. Peele peels his story slowly and confidently; disaster is constantly looming, you just don't quite know the nature of it. One of his most clever tricks is the racial card that Peele constantly plays. There's no doubt that he – or rather his (white) characters – are preoccupied with race, but Peele's trick is that he toys with conventions and stereotypes without ever taking a stand or making judgements. He's merely observational; any racism is all in the eye of the beholder. The film addresses clumsy handling of racial stereotypes rather than racism as such. And ultimately, what these characters are up to is not really about racism; it's about evil on a whole 'nother level.

Like the best films in this sub-genre, Get Out is both funny and terrifying at the same time. It's a technically brilliant film with several deliciously eerie performances that work perfectly within the film's universe. It's been a while since the horror genre has been blessed with something as refreshing as this.

Copyright © 26.01.2018 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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