Get Out

I liked the way it respectably maintained its detachment. Whether in its choice of music, the literally absurd composition of some scenes, or the grotesque "airport security dude who's a better investigator than the classic cops" storyline. I also liked the fact that, though racism is used as a central theme, it is not in any way agitprop, and Jordan Peele is actually very far from styling himself as any kind of moralist. In fact, Get Out is such a well-written and well-directed film that the theme of racism is more likely just used cleverly and satirically to its own advantage. Plus, I'm certainly not afraid to say that I found this "satirical horror film about racism" extremely entertaining. If Jordan Peele wanted to make a point, he did so in a way that was very intelligent, entertaining, and helped with a royal dose of detachment. When near the end Rose is scrolling through the "Top NCAA Prospects" search results page to the sound of the intoxicating "Time of My Life", I honestly laughed my heart out. "I told you to get the fuck out that house, man." (11/04/2018)

The completely reversed view of racism caused that Get Out is one of the most interesting thrillers that I have seen recently. Racist hatred created a very strong story here – and it’s best that you know as little as possible about it before watching. That way, you will be really surprised and at the same time you will feel suspense with every passing minute, which will make your experience of the movie even stronger. On top of that, I have to add that Daniel Kaluuya made a very interesting impression on me. We’ll see what other movies he comes up with in the future. (12/15/2017)

I've seen a lot of poor horror movies lately that have been praised by American critics only because they were gender-progressive or originated in an exotic country and themed some form of oppression. At first glance, Get Out seems exactly like the "we have an explosive racial topic that someone has dealt with in all its explicitness" case, but from the opening scene Peele gives the impression that he is a) an excellent screenwriter who calmly turns a social metaphor into a grotesque slasher without the structure disintegrating, b) a director able to work with subliminal tension, which is guaranteed to escape the local horror experts, but certainly not an audience with a certain degree of cultivated attention to detail. The first third is a socially relevant metaphor for black masks, the middle builds tension, and the final acts offers peppery catharsis. Together, the acts make a film that is a more intelligent and serious reflection of racial identity for me than the whole of Moonlight. I was only bothered by a little superfluous ethereal music and a few places where you can see inside Get Out more than one would like. Otherwise, it’s great. (04/27/2017)

Earning USD 150 million at the US box office with a budget of less than five million dollars? Jason Blum is the man. And it seems that a new age of black directing talent is at hand. The atmosphere of Get Out is reminiscent of the works of Stephen King, and had it been based on one of his books, it would have been one of the best King adaptations ever. The psychological horror formula, intensely and courageously built on the sensitive issue of racism, will send chills down your spine. Flawlessly directed with intelligent social insight, the movie is effective thanks both to the tension between the characters and purely genre elements (jump scares, raising of the tension using visual tricks). If it had a cleverer ending, it would be a work with precision reaching the level of Shyamalan’s famous trilogy. [ArcLight Santa Monica] (03/30/2017)

The film features excellent screenwriting and above all directing, with a strange white panopticon, a properly soaked racist mindset, and above all the insistent feeling of "what the fuck...?". The intensity, where you pray that the plot will keep moving and you will learn a little more, works mainly because the protagonist maintains a rational approach throughout and the plot never once allows him to slip into a genre crutch. Moreover, this is brilliantly caricatured by the character of the best friend, who both introduces and breaks down traditional creative practices by commenting on upcoming events over the phone. It's terribly simple and yet perfectly thought out and embellished in detail, a work of art straight out of a magazine. 4 ½. (07/20/2017)