We really are blessed to have three "good to great" movies in these usually trash-filled cinematic Winter/Spring months. January, February and March are not supposed to give us the good stuff, but thus far we've had "John Wick 2," "Logan," and, now, Jordan Peele's "Get Out" come out of Hollywood.
The latter is a genuinely scary, funny and political film that I missed at this year's Sundance Film Festival. There was a secret midnight screening, which I did not attend. I finally caught up with it last evening and it played like gangbusters. I love mindfucks and "Get Out" is surely a mindfuck of the highest order.
It tells the story of aspiring African-American photographer Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya in a mesmerizing role) nervous to meet the parents of his white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams). She hasn't told them that he's black, but tells Chris not to worry because Dad isn't racist and "would have gladly voted for Obama for a third term" if he had the chance. Dad is Dean Armitage (Bradley Whitford), a neurosurgeon, mom, Missy (Catherine Keener), is hypnotherapist that wants to put Chris under her spell to root out his addiction to cigarettes.
The Armitage's feel like a warm and embracing family, but secrets lurk deep beneath their facade. Explaining what happens next is unnecessary, for doing so would be like revealing that Janet Leigh gets killed not even midway through "Psycho." Knowing as little as possible about "Get Out" will get you deeper and deeper into its trance of secrets.
Peele, one-half of the comedic duo Key and Peele, is having the time of his life messing with our heads, bringing the tension with a mix of horror and comedy. He finds the way liberal America is facing the race issue hypocritical and condescending. Amen. "Get Out" is not just a horror comedy, but it is filled with political fireworks that make it a lot more nuanced and thought-provoking.
The film is refreshingly incisive for its stab at the white liberal elite. Something you don't see much in the media or at the movies these days. Peele is smart enough to skewer all of white America and demand they wake up to the elephant in the room. Hypocrisy seems to be the name of the game. [B+]