Plot: What’s it about?
A surprise hit with both critics and audiences, Get Out is likely to make an impression on the viewer, whether good or bad. It’s the kind of film that leaves its mark for sure, even if it won’t be for everyone. It had some serious legs when it opened theatrically just a few months back. It just kept bringing in the cash week after week. I can say that overall I enjoyed it even if I find it a shade overrated. It’s still a film that’s worth checking out at least once. Written and Directed by Jordan Peele, most famous from his work on Key and Peele. The film can’t be labeled as comedy or horror, but is probably best described as horror with comedic elements. It wouldn’t be unfair to call it a bit of a satire as well.
Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is planning a trip to meet the parents of his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams). He feels a bit nervous about it since he is black and she is white, unsure how they’ll react to this. She assures him all will be fine, and off they go. There’s a bit of a mishap on the way there which results in minor damage to their vehicle. Almost immediately, Chris observes that the officer who takes their report is acting strange toward him, somewhat racist as well. They continue onward, but the strangeness doesn’t end there. The groundskeeper and housekeeper (both black) act more than a little strange. Chris takes note of this, but he seems to be the only one who’s aware of it, while everyone else shrugs it off. Chris is big into photography and notices that the groundskeeper gets a nosebleed after Chris takes his photo. What exactly is going on? Let’s not mention that Rose’s parents are also a little strange as well. Often trying to sound overly hip with their language and actions toward Chris.
I didn’t love Get Out as much as the many critics, but it definitely kept me intrigued and maintained my interest. Mostly, I should say. I feel the film lagged a bit in the middle and could’ve lost about 10 minutes or so. Still, it works well enough to keep us guessing until the very end. I admit that I had no clue where it was all headed, but it all adds up by the time the final credits appear. It has some pretty frightening moments, but is also quite funny at times as well. I especially enjoyed Chris’s TSA friend named Rod (Lil Rey Howery). He provides plenty of laughs in his more limited role. All the actors do fine in their respective roles as well.
Video: How’s it look?
This is a pretty interestingly-shot film. Universal’s 2.40:1 AVC HD image is, as we’d expect, indicative of a new to the format film. Being a horror film, there are plenty of darker scenes with shadows and contrast being no problem. Detail is sharp and the overall color palette ranges from bright and colorful to dark and “shadowy” (for lack of a better word). I couldn’t really find fault with anything, save for a few trace elements in a couple of scenes. This is a good-looking picture.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The included DTS HD Master Audio sound mix makes full use of all the channels in your system. It’s got enough “boom” to pack a punch and I have to admit there were a few times when I took notice. Vocals are clear and sharp, surrounds effectively used and the LFE have a few moments to shine. It’s not as “in your face” as some other horror movies, but what’s included do sound the part. No complaints here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Alternate Ending – Available with commentary by Jordan Peele this is a pretty political ending (which Peele refers to as the “first ending”). He remarks about how he wrote this during the Obama era and that he wanted to show how alive and well racism actually was. I won’t divulge too much more, but there’s a lot more substance to this than most alternate endings I’ve seen.
- Deleted Scenes – Available with or without commentary, these five scenes weren’t included in the cut and as Peele explains, they were cut for pacing; though two are extended versions of scenes that were in the film.
- Rose Hypnosis
- Extended Rutherford
- Badminton
- Sunken Place Deer
- Detective Latoya Extended
- Unveiling the Horror of Get Out – The only “obligatory” feature on this disc is this one, but there’s a bit more to it than the run-of-the-mill EPK. Peele explains some of the influences that he had when coming up with the movie, its overall message and what he wanted to accomplish when making it. Some clips from the film are shown, of course, as are some sound bites from the cast and crew.
- Q&A Discussion with Writer/Director Jordan Peele and the Cast – A majority of these Q & A sessions run for at least 30 minutes, but this one only lasts 5. Some of the same information is covered as in the above feature as Peele remarks he wrote this right after Obama was elected in what he calls the “post racial lie.” Some clips from the film are shown and it’s more of a “highlight reel” than an actual Q & A session. Still, it’s an interesting watch.
- Audio Commentary – Writer/Director Jordan Peele delivers a very informative and chatty commentary track. He’s obviously the one who should be dishing the dirt since he both wrote and directed it and it’s chock full of interesting little tidbits. If you’re a fan of Peele and his work, you’ll dig it and even you aren’t – it’s still a pretty good listen.
The Bottom Line
Get Out proves to be an enjoyable film with something to say. I liked that it never becomes a “message movie” or heavy-handed in what it has to say. I don’t feel it’s quite as good as most of the critics made it out to be, and it also lags in the middle. Still, it has a strong story to tell and keeps us intrigued by where it’ll all go. Recommended.
