Get Out
By Charlotte Dekle
In 1936, Jesse Owens achieved international acclaim by winning four gold medals during the Berlin Olympics. This historical event might not have taken place if the patriarch of the Armitage family had beaten Owens. Thus, Jesse Owens was the catalyst for the Armitage family business and the back story of Get Out. I’ll refrain from revealing any more plot points in an effort not to spoil the movie, but if you haven’t seen Get Out, YOU MUST! This movie is perfect for our current social climate which has called out those abstaining from taking a stand against injustice.
The Armitage family is the paragon of the white, upper class, suburban,”woke” liberals, who pride themselves on not seeing race or color.
They are very nice at first glance and seem like the kind of people who would say “I would vote for Obama for a third term if I could.” The first act of Get Out seems like “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” combined with “Meet The Parents” but it soon unravels into something never quite seen before. This is where the genius of Jordan Peele comes through. Everything that happens in the movie from the dialogue, the music, and the direction is so intricately planned that you will definitely miss something the first time watching it. This movie highlights that we all have subtle racial biases, even behind the most accepting facade. And we can’t sit idly by as other people are being discriminated against. Just as in 1936, when Jesse Owens ran the 100 meter in front of Hitler in Nazi Germany, we can stand up to the people who seek to oppress us. Just remember, nice is different than good.
logline: A young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.
Source: IMDb
My Favorite Characters:
Lil' Rel Howery as Rod Williams: he is the best TSA agent, which is honestly a low bar to clear. Rod serves as the surrogate of the audience member who screams “don’t split up” and “don’t go into the house” during horror movies. He is the comic relief and Howery gives a wonderfully relatable performance that makes you say, “thank God for the TSA.”
Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington: a well deserved Oscar nomination. Kaluuya is amazing as the protagonist, Chris, a photographer. He is so talented and his performance is wonderful and layered. He goes through so much in this movie and I don’t want to give any of it away because you should just watch it. But he shines in his performance. You really understand his point of view and you empathize with him. Most of all, you want him to Get Out.
Something I liked: I want to give Jordan Peele so much praise. This is his directorial debut and he won an Oscar for the screenplay. He knocked it out of the park, as he did with his more recent movie, US. There is nothing I can say about Peele’s talent that hasn’t already been said. But this movie is amazing and it’s all because of him. Peele’s growth from MadTV and Key and Peele to this has made him one of the most talented people working in Hollywood today. I cannot wait to see what he does next.
Rated R for violence, bloody images, and language including sexual references.
Where to Watch: for rent or purchase on all major platforms.
Image source: Universal Pictures via Pinterest