Get Out (April 2017)

Official Australian release date: 4/5/17. Viewed: 10/4/17.

Director: Jordan Peele

Actors: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, Catherine Keener

Genre: Thriller / Mystery

Rating: MA

‘Get Out’ is billed as a horror film, but – no spoilers in this review! – it’s really more of a mystery/tense thriller. It’s shot really well and looks great (nice effort from first-time director Peele), with some smart use of the Alabama location and a good score. The premise is purposefully cryptic: “African-American man visits his Caucasian girlfriend’s mysterious family estate”. Chris (Kaluuya) is meeting Rose (Williams) parents – Missy (Keener) & Dean (Whitford) – for the first time, and they welcome him with open arms, even if the servants seem off.

It’s not all about race, but it is a key aspect of the film and handled quite well. The two leads easily carry the film, both having some great scenes. However, the best bits are probably whenever Chris’ friend Rod (Howery) is on screen, being hilarious and boisterous, even though often by phone. The humour and some slow bits do well to make the surprises seem even more shocking.

The twist isn’t as big as ‘Cabin in the Woods’ or ‘The Sixth Sense’, but the final 20min is certainly one of the better endings to a thriller/horror film you’ll see for a while! Bit of a slow build up in parts, but a very exciting finish and it’s all over in 100min.  

Overall: Fun and well-made thriller.

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars.