Jordan Peele's "Get Out" is a Strong Directorial Debut

 
   This weekend marks the directorial debut of Jordan Peele, one half of the comedic duo Key and Peele. His film Get Out is a horror/dark comedy that touches on some fairly relevant social and racial aspects we deal with today (unfortunately), but without coming off offensive or pretentious. The movie is about a young African-American man named Chris (played brilliantly by Daniel Kaluuya) who visits his Caucasian girlfriend's mysterious family estate. A twisted fish-out-of-water tale, Get Out satirizes certain stereotypes that exist, both concerning black and white people alike, while delivering a creepy, as well as hilarious film that I am sure will become a cult classic quicker than you might think.

   What is great about this movie is the brave perspective the narration takes. We don't see this kind of storytelling in genre films very much, and when a good one comes along it's worth every penny to watch it. Jordan Peele successfully shows that he can handle the horror genre. The movie does play on some typical horror-movie tropes but not as often as other films do. It maintains its originality and central voice despite the cliche jump scares. It's also hilarious to boot. The movie understands that although it is an over-the-top horror movie, with some extremely sinister elements behind the scenes, there's definitely something to be said about the awkwardness that someone feels when they're thrust into a situation that they're not really used to.

   The writing and directing is really well done. There are some extremely interesting shots that capture the creepy elements to the story. The opening sequence in particular is really cool. It was done all in one take and it really sets the tone for the entire film. The acting is amazing, which I was intrigued by the most. Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener play the parents of Chris' girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams). They both do such a fantastic job at containing the sinister and mysterious qualities of their characters, which helps to build the tension. Daniel Kaluuya plays Chris and boy can this guy act. There are some heavy, emotional scenes that Chris has and Daniel executes them perfectly. You feel right there with him as he goes through the uncomfortable and sometimes scary aspects of this trip. The stand out though is Chris' friend Rod, a TSA agent played by LilRel Howery. He's the main source of comic relief, and very single time he's on screen there are huge laughs to be had. Overall the cast really knocks it out of the park.

   I gotta hand it to Jordan Peele. He was able to craft a horror film that works, while maintaining his own voice throughout the narrative. The message is strong, but not over-the-top, however the execution is quite over-the-top, as most horror movies are. I think horror fans as well as those who don't like scary movies can really enjoy this film. It's as funny as it is creepy. With great production, great acting, and an entertaining value that is extremely higher than I had anticipated, Get Out is a fun time. It's not the greatest of horror movies, and it is somewhat predictable, but again it's the level of originality and overall execution that makes it so dang fun to watch.