Social media occupies the lives of millions of people, and ever so often, there is always some sort of craze or challenge that appears. What does the most recent one happen to be? The #GetOutChallenge.
This challenge spawns from the world’s most recent horror/thriller phenomenon, Get Out. Packed tight with an ingenious plot, chilling cinematography, comic relief and thrills, the #GetOutChallenge doesn’t even scratch the surface of why this film has the attention of millions.
Since its release, Get Out has achieved some personal accolades:
- It held a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes for its opening weekend and currently sits at 99%.
- Jordan Peele is now the first black writer-director to earn $100 million in his or her debut movie (Independent).
Get Out tells the tale of a New York African-American man named Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) who is going with his Caucasian girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) to spend a weekend at her parent’s house outside of the city. Chris feels uneasy about all of this due to the fact that he is black and Rose hasn’t quite informed her parents of that. Swallowing his pride and locking away his concern, Chris and Rose drive to her parents’ beautiful home in the country.
To Chris’s surprise, her parents are very welcoming. However, as the rest of that night and next day continues, weird discoveries and events occur, leading to a huge twist and debacle full of chaos and thrill.
Get Out is not so much a horror film but more of a “social thriller.” There aren’t demons, serial killers or monsters, but there are jump scares and plenty of chilling sequences. The film forced me to be on my toes and grasping the end of my seat at all times.
What makes this film so great is the underlying theme and message within all of its content.
While it doesn’t take itself too seriously and features TONS of comic relief through satire and Chris’s best friend and TSA legend Rod Williams (LilRel Howery), Get Out is still able to serve a platter of messages and lessons we as a society need to hear.
Jordan Peele created this film to give the world a glimpse of what it’s like to be an African-American man in an America where “racism no longer exists” (sarcasm).
In an interview with NPR, Peele proclaimed:
“It was very important to me to just get the entire audience in touch in some way with the fears inherent [in] being black in this country,” Peele says. “Part of being black in this country, and I presume being any minority, is constantly being told that … we’re seeing racism where there just isn’t racism.”
Once again, another 2017 film has instantly earned a spot on my list of favorite movies. The Brunswick stew of satire, horror and thrill that Get Out is makes me excited for what Jordan Peele has up his sleeve.
The world, especially the United States, needs to see this film. Not only is it exceptional but it also has a message that every person from every walk of life needs to hear.
Have you seen Get Out yet? If you have, who is your favorite character and why? I’d love to know! Shoot me an email at mfthomas@mail.lipscomb.edu or leave a comment below!
In Him,
Mason
Mason, Movies and Music 