16. Get Out

I was so so excited to see Get Out. I first saw the trailer before Split and it looked incredible, but I was also happy to see the trailer again, before Fences; an Oscar winning movie. Psychological thrillers and horrors are my thing, but I also was intrigued by the political undertones, and the fact that it had themes around racism in the world today. I also recognised Daniel Kaluuya from back in the day in Skins and Psychoville, and more recently in Black Mirror, so I was really interested to see him in a bigger budget project.

As the lights went down in the cinema, I realised I was getting scared. The opening scene is so very predictable, but the music and way it is filmed is in such a way that 10 seconds in I already had the creeps. Then Childish Gambino's Redbone started playing and I knew that I probably was going to love this film. (As a side note, the audio effects/sound/music throughout the film were great, and really added to the experience of the film. I assume Redbone was chosen for its political undertones, alongside being a boss tune.)

The story follows Chris (Kaluuya) as he meets his white girlfriend Rose's (Allison Williams) parents (Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford). Chris is worried that Rose's parents won't approve of him as he is black. They travel to a massive creepy mansion, and have a couple of hiccups on the way. Once they arrive, Rose's parents seem pleasant enough, but there is still something odd in the air. Chris meets the family's "staff" Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and Walter (Marcus Henderson), and this is where everything gets even more creepy. Both Georgina and Walter are black. Both Rose, her parents and Georgina and Walter are quick to reassure Chris that they are part of the family, and the fact they work in the house is nothing to do with race.

However, later in the evening, Rose's mother ends up hypnotising Chris, to help him stop smoking. From here things get more intense, and Chris starts to worry something is wrong. The next day there is a party in celebration of Rose's late grandfather's birthday. There is only one other black person amongst realms of white people, and when Chris starts to talk to him, he continues to feel suspicious that something is very wrong.

From here, Chris tries to work out what is going on, with help from his friend at home, Rod (LilRel Howery). The plot thickens and becomes more intense, as more questions are asked and the answers are worse than imaginable. The film is full of political messages, and hidden nods to racism and the culture we live in today.

I found the whole film fabulous. It was funny in parts, scary in parts, jumpy in parts, and it had me gripped. The film without the political theme would have an interesting and exciting plot to start with, but I just thought it was great that there was a message to be shared as well. The most powerful part to me was the fact that the shared pain of characters was what lifted them slightly from their hypnotised state (it'll make sense when you watch it), and looking at what all the white characters represented in contributing to prejudice and discrimination in racism today.

In terms of the film being a horror, Georgina is ridiculously scary, i'm surprised I didn't get nightmares seeing her scurrying around in my house or fixing her hair in the mirror. There is also a bit of gore but I think it was appropriate and added to the effect (sometimes I find gore boring). It was also quite jumpy, which is always fun, and hilarious watching your mate flying out of their seat next to you. As the film was ending, I thought I wasn't going to like the way it tied things up, but actually I thought it was great.

Overall, I really loved Get Out, and I am going to give it a massive 9/10. It was fab and I was still thinking about the messages in it, (and Georgina) for days afterwards. If you like psychological films, horror films, political films, or all three; I reckon you will love it!