If you were to ask most single people about dating, they would tell you that it’s one of the hardest things to deal with. When you do find that perfect someone though, the stages of a relationship can be the most enjoyable and memorable. Like the first time you stay the night, or when you say those three little words. Then you take it to the next level of living together, eventually you get to meet the parents. This is the basis for so many comedies as well as countless sitcoms. In real life, the moment can be so stressful, are they going to like you and are they going to think you are good enough? All of this makes me glad I am single.
Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) is having those thoughts, as he prepares to meet the parents of his girlfriend of five months, Rose (Allison Williams). The biggest reason for his reservations is because of the color of his skin and the fact Rose hasn’t told them he is black. Everything starts off just fine, as Rose’s parents Dean (Bradley Whitford) and her mother Missy (Catherine Keener) seem pretty swell. Things start to feel a little different when Rose’s brother shows up with his creepy vibe. But that isn’t the only thing making Chris think things are not quite right. The gardener and housekeeper, who are both black, are acting a little strange. The family seems to really take a liking to Chris, with Missy even offering to help Chris quit smoking by hypnotizing him. Chris declines but is hypnotized anyway and that’s when things really go off the rails.
“Get Out” is Jordan Peele’s directorial debut. Not only does Peele direct, he is also responsible for the screenplay. This film straddles being a thriller and a comedy, and doing both quite well. The first half of the film plays better as a comedy with help from LilRel Howery who plays Rob, Chris’s best friend who happens to be a TSA agent. That’s not saying the film failed at the thriller part, even if it finds that footing in the last fifteen minutes. Peele, who came up with the film’s idea during the ’08 Democratic primary, delivers on all fronts. With the help of an excellent score by Michael Abeles, Peele keeps you on the edge of your seat, which involves a twist on “The Stepford Wives” and during the film’s climax. With an ending tthat is better with the right crowd and might just make you get out of your seat and cheer. “Get Out” never feels like it takes things too seriously, but what is does do is wrap a clever satire into an entertaining balance of horror and humor.
