‘Get Out’ Might Be The Best Horror Movie Of The Decade

Wally Bryton8 years ago

It’s been months since I first saw Get Out and I’m still wrapping my head around it. It’s a movie that sticks with you. You reanalyze what you saw like pieces of an ever-changing puzzle. You laugh again in your head at the much-needed moments of comic relief. And, most importantly, you reaffirm your belief that white girls are the most dangerous people on the planet.

For those of you who have never heard of it, congratulations on saving thousands in rent money by living under that rock of yours. Basically, Get Out is a racially charged, socially conscious horror film (with flickers of comedy). A young black man (played by breakout star Daniel Kaluuya) goes to meet his suspiciously adorable white girlfriend’s family and stay with them for an increasingly uncomfortable weekend. To give any more details would spoil it. It’s a genuinely unpredictable emotional rollercoaster (if you’ve managed to avoid all the jokes and memes that have given away some of the major plot points).

It was directed by Jordan Peele (from Key & Peele), and in a way it feels like an extended Key & Peele skit with scares instead of punchlines. It’s not hard to imagine the whole plot being condensed into a 5-minute comedy skit. It juggles racial themes so cleverly in a way that feels timely. It’s also funny as hell when it needs to be.

Mainly, the movie exposes a new, subtler kind of racism. A desperate, liberal racism. Not every racist is a loud, inbred redneck drunkenly shouting slurs (though those dudes obviously do exist); sometimes it’s the rich liberal who’s constantly trying to remind you about how NOT racist he is. The guy who goes out of his way to make sure his black buddies know that he’s “down.” The guy who randomly reminds his black friend that he would have voted for Obama a 3rd time if he could’ve while his friend just uncomfortably nods.

The movie is jam packed with an insane amount of metaphors, Easter eggs, and tons of tiny hints of what’s to come. The second time you watch it, everything makes a little more sense and you’re punching yourself in the nuts for not seeing the twists and turns coming. Sometimes you think you know what the twist is gonna be, then Peele ends up going in a totally different direction. But it all culminates beautifully when you look at the whole thing.

Get Out may singlehandedly end all interracial relationships, which is an unfortunate side effect. If you’re in a happy interracial relationship, avoid this movie at all costs so no one gets dumped. Believe it or not, it IS possible for a movie to ruin relationships. Years ago, I took a girl to see Grown Ups 2 and I never saw her again.

So if you like horror movies, if you like yourself, if you hate Wally Bryton, watch this damn movie. It’s arguably the best horror movie of the 2010s thus far (the runners up are probably The Cabin in the Woods, It Follows, and Grown Ups 2).

The best part? Jordan Peele is married to a white woman (stand-up comic Chelsea Peretti). The idea of his in-laws watching this movie never fails to make me smile..

Image via YouTube