Review of ‘Get Out’

With over 100 million box office revenue and a whopping 99% on rotten Tomatoes, everybody is talking about the recent movie Get Out.  The film, directed by Jordan Peele, is a satirical social commentary on the status of race relations in the United States.

“The movie was complex and deep.” Ryan Landes, senior, said.

The film starts with the protagonist, Chris Washington– played by British actor Daniel Kaluuya– getting ready to spend the weekend visiting his girlfriend’s parents, subsequently meeting them for the first time.

Rose Armitage, Chris’s girlfriend, played by actress Allison Williams, assures Chris they will have a good time.  However, Kaluuya is not so sure, asking, “Do they know I’m black?”

Williams assures Kaluuya that his parents aren’t racist, warning that her father will probably tell him that he would’ve voted for Obama for a third term. Needless to say, their weekend excursion quickly goes downhill as bizarre, inexplicable events plague Kaluuya.

While the film has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, because of the polarizing topic of race, there has been controversy. A frequent criticism has been that it is racist towards white people.

“I don’t understand how people can think that [the movie is racist.] I think this is a wake up call for our generation that even though we had a black president, racism still exists,” Connar Gigous, senior, said.

While there is no doubt it is hard to get teenagers to open up to just about anything, the topic of race is even more elusive. Dylan Reevely thinks this all part of the genius of Peele when he says, “The comedic relief in the movie made it more relatable and easier to talk the very divisive issue of race.”

Whether you are interested in contemplating heavy topics such as race or identity or maybe you just want to have a good laugh: the consensus is out– get out and go see Get Out.