greenmemo Review of Get Out

Get Out (I) (2017)

A deliciously wry slice of cinematic paranoia served with a side of cathartic humor

[10/10 · 25 February 2017]

I was totally blown away by "Get Out". This is one of the best turns by an actor behind the camera I have ever seen (Jordan Peele). Probably the timely social commentary is going to loom heavily when discussing the film; however this shouldn't conceal the fact that this is a masterclass cinematic work that has been thought out to the very last detail; it knows what it wants to say and how to say it, balancing wildly contrasting tones and defeating potential clichés with stylistic bravura. Of course everything stems from a rock solid script, where the plot points are cunningly engineered, and then fleshed out in a disciplined and take no prisoners kind of way. There is much to admire and enjoy here, including some surreal imagery that is as stunning as it is disturbing, always serving a purpose within the narrative; there are also brilliant soundtrack choices and you get subtle nods at the masters that came before (Kubrick and Wes Craven, specially). The plot involves one of those frequently visited "fish out of the water" type of settings where it's up to the director to make the most out of it. Which fortunately is the case here, since you get plenty of real character development and a tight, innuendo ridden dialogue that really gets under your skin. All this, together with the inspired camera work, contributes to the success of this tricky enterprise as a whole. Kudos to all the actors for going all the way with the provocative premise, considering that it could have totally backfired in less confident hands. Everything amounts to a deliciously wry slice of cinematic paranoia served with a side of cathartic humor that appropriately reflects the political times we are living in. And make no mistake, this is a true horror film that refuses to pull any punches; if you thought that Peele was just going for the laughs and the cheap scares you will get more than you bargained for. "Get out" will shock you silly and will make you think. Then you will want to watch it again and try to figure out how he pulled the trick.