Get Out Movie Review: If Social Media Hasn’t Already Ruined It

“The liberal elite who communicates that we’re not racist in any way is as much of the problem as anything else. This movie is about the lack of acknowledgement that racism exists,” explains Jordan Peele, director of “Get Out.”
“Get Out” was released on February 24th, 2017. With a $5,000,000 budget, the film made $33,377,060 on its opening weekend. By March 13th, the film grossed $113,064,385 worldwide.
The film was far more than what was advertised. It was a tale about a young black male who became romantically involved with a white woman. As their relationship approaches new heights, Rose (Allison Williams), invites her boyfriend, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), home for the weekend to meet her family. “I had a Caucasian girlfriend a while ago. I remember specifically asking if the parents knew I was Black. She said no. That scared me,” stated Jordan Peele.
Throughout the film, audiences have noticed lots of symbolism. The movie is jam packed with micro-aggressions, racial profiling, stereotypes, and subliminal messages. The horror film hinted at what happens to black Americans in white America. Peele explains, “As a Black man, sometimes you can’t tell if what you’re seeing has underlying bigotry, or it’s a normal conversation and you’re being paranoid.”
The dialogue within the film was loaded with jokes, as well conversations that may have gone over one’s head. “I wanted to make a film that acknowledges neglect and inaction in the face of the real race monster.” Peele goes on to add, “This movie is also about how to deal with race.”
Though hesitant, Chris accepts the invitation to travel to the family’s estate for a weekend getaway. Despite Daniel and Rose hitting a bump in the road, in their case, a buck, the couple arrives to their destination. Rose’s parents, Dean and Missy Armitage, a hypnotist and a neurosurgeon, welcome the couple to their home with odd smiles and not so obvious ill intent. As Dean takes Chris on a tour of their home, Chris is told the story of Rose’s grandfather competing against Jesse Owens in the Olympics. Dean made a statement about his father’s loss, how he “almost let it go.”
“With Get Out, what needed to be believable was the protagonist’s intentions [and] why he’s there. I followed the Rosemary’s Baby- Stepford Wives model of inching into this crazy situation and alongside justifying how the character is rationalizing staying,” states Peele. Rose became the hunter and gatherer in the family as she continuously set out to find Black people to bring home and auction off. Chris happened to be her prey for that year’s silent auction amongst the liberal elite. When it all hits the fan, Chris’ best friend comes to the rescue, even after he warned Chris about going into the woods with a white woman.
When asked what scares Peele most, his response was human beings. “What people can do in conjunction with other people is exponentially worse than what they can do alone. Society is the scariest monster.”