Get Out 2017

I saved this film for the last weeks of 2017 as a Christmas gift to myself. I was quite delighted by what I watched.

Get Out is a dark satire casting the experience of being black in a white society with classic horror film tropes. Its already been compared to the Stepford Wives and described as a cynical spoof of Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. Fair. But I'm more reminded of the Wes Craven film "The People Under The Stairs". The film lays out the mental exploitation, dehumanization and utilitarian mental slavery of blacks in Western culture with a kind of domestic thriller that only lampshades the violence of slavery and being ghettoized. All while remaining a flippant, hip date movie for blacks and whites to empathize over. Its kinda "Gone Girl" for Obama-loving Millennials.

Its actually a thin plot given a very smart, dynamic and bold treatment. Its not too cynical or disturbing, always remaining light and fun as the films listed above. Writer/director Jordan Peele is a real film student who combined some topical references to say something necessary in a fresh way. Would I call it a masterpiece? I don't know. Its themes were heavy, heartbreaking and finally cathartic to me, a person who has lived painful experiences like this. But the masterstroke is that it paints an optimistic crowd-pleasing climax that doesn't go for melodrama or grand spectacle or epic tragedy. This story rightly sticks to a happy ending thats earned and not beyond realism.

On objective technical merits, its a wonderfully directed film with expert acting, beautifully integrated plotting and non-traditional cinematography and a memorably original soundtrack. And thankfully there is no cliffhanger for a sequel. Imagine a film that completes itself!

This is a strong contender for Best of 2017 and already has the popular vote with critics. Its miles ahead of just about everything else I saw and its the most satisfactory and positive of the best films. You'll just have to see how I rank it on the year-end list :)