Review of Get Out (2017) by Barney O — 21 May 2017

WHAT I LIKED: On the one hand, 'Get Out' is undoubtedly a very gripping and engaging thriller indeed, but really it's more so a product of a whole host of different ingredients.

Yes Jordan Peele certainly isn't going for a straight genre piece here, as the story he writes is one of relative insanity that goes an awfully long way to literally explore its racial themes. Of course that approach to ideas could have easily come off as ridiculous and forced (as it has in many other movies such as 'The Age of Adeline') but it is surprisingly successful here because it doesn't take itself too seriously, and because it hooks you enough to stop you thinking about things too much.

Yes for one, Get Out is most definitely a film that invests and engages you extremely effectively as Peele not only builds a well-layered (and well-portrayed) lead character, but he also places him in plenty of genuinely tense and uncomfortable moments that are upped throughout and brought to life by the brilliant score and cinematography.

Secondly though, one can also say that none of that would have worked if it had dealt everything with a straight face and a steady hand, as the madness of the whole thing would have still felt unnatural. As such, Get Out delivers its crazy - if thematically grounded - story in a very humble and amusing manor that feels as though it doesn't take itself too seriously. In a way this is once again brought to life by the lead character, who travels through it all with a somewhat nervous brow and yet a calm and amused attitude that comes off exactly how one is supposed to perceive the whole experience as a viewer.

Match all that with some potentially eye-opening themes and what you get is a film that successfully challenges the expectations of the genre, its audience and its storytelling methods by using a pinch-of-salt approach with its underlying insanity to ensure it all feels organic and exciting. In the end it's a very enjoyable, engaging and amusing thriller, and whilst that may sound like an overly mixed bag, I can definitely say that none of those elements would have worked as well without each other.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: As it truly descends into madness in the final act, it does occasionally feel as though its forgotten how silly it has become.

VERDICT: A film that embraces its unique-ness in a way that engages and amuses; 'Get Out' is a surprising success from Jordan Peele that should hopefully get him more directorial work in the future.