Review of Get Out (2017) by Jillian M — 22 Oct 2017

This movie very cleverly interprets the human condition, and really questions what exactly a horror film is supposed to be. Of course it has jump scares, but that's not really what makes the movie a part of the horror genre.

The horror is in putting yourself alongside the main character, and seeing their experience. First with the cop who treats him unfairly, second with the parents who make off-hand remarks that hint at their racial insensitivity, and later with the reveal of the hypnotism.

It uses mystery and intrigue to draw you into the lore and the background, and shakes you to the core with the very real aspects of humanity we see in the "horror" characters. To be honest, while the real ending certainly relieves the tension in the movie, and leaves you feeling satisfied that Chris makes it out alive, the real impact is that when you think Chris finally is free from the horrors of illegal brain transplanting and mind-control, in the alternate ending, he gets no happy ending.

Rod doesn't save him, and he's ends up in jail for self defense against a family of psychopaths. And yet, the horror is the ridiculuous plot's parallel to reality. The parts of it you can see in day to day interactions.

That's the real horror to me, and its what makes this movie one of a kind.