Get Out

Annika Lindburg, Staff Writer and Online Coordinator

The premise is simple: a mixed race couple is ready for the next phase of their relationship, meeting the parents. Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams) are a charming and seemingly perfect couple. They own a dog. Chris enjoys photography. Yet as they begin their trek to meet Rose’s family, everything changes.

The opening scene is a smart play on the typical lone ranger in an unknown neighborhood, except he’s black and making jokes about the upper-class white neighborhood he’s in. Right off the bat, Get Out is a smart commentary on race.

Even the opening title sequence is smartly done. A song called Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga by Michael Abel plays while black and white photos of individuals and things in the environment appear on the screen. These black and white photos and the African-American music playing during the title sequence evoked the feeling of a different film, something that I, a white middle-class American, was not accustomed to hearing. Everything was meticulously thought out, from the costumes, to music, to visual effects.

While I am not a huge fan of scary movies, I couldn’t resist the perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and I realized the importance of seeing such a film during the Trump era.

Daniel Kaluuya is phenomenal in the film and tight close-ups of his face keep the uncertainty and pace of the film throbbing. Get Out had scenes that reminded me of the Matrix and Inception.

The director, Jordan Peele, does an admirable job of mixing humor with apprehension. The scenes of Chris’s best friend, Rod Williams (Lil Rel Howery) are funny and provides a nice break from the scary scenes.

While there are a few palpitating moments, the core of the movie is an uncanny look at race. I think everyone should see this film.