Short Attention Span Review - Get Out (2017)
As someone who loves horror and would argue that the genre has been at the very forefront of social commentary and diversity where the cinema is concerned, I chafe at the notion of so-called "progressive horror." Maybe that's partly why I avoided Get Out for so long. Add to that my disappointment with Us, and it's fair to say that I approached last night's viewing of this influential chiller from 2017 with some trepidation. However, unlike director Jordan Peele's follow-up, I found Get Out to be very rewarding. Deftly balancing potent commentary with satire and several resounding shocks, this is a real winner. I'm not sure that it was as groundbreaking as many made it out to be, but it surely had a lot to say. The script represents a superb effort that fueled an unnerving march toward a grisly conclusion. In the early stages, this movie feels kind of like a razor-sharp episode of The Twilight Zone, and the execution is a marvel to behold. The filmmakers really manage to toe the line, building upon the premise with eerie brush strokes while being careful to avoid taking things so far that credibility is lost. Peele allows things to simmer until the very end, when he delivers a massive climax that is deeply fulfilling. I will praise every aspect of this provocative shocker, to include the performances, the score, the editing, and the effects work. This wasn't just a good horror movie with a message, this was a great horror movie, and it certainly included some powerful ideas and difficult concepts. Yet Get Out wasn't preachy or pretentious, and the entertainment value didn't suffer from a need to make a statement. Quite the opposite, really, as the statement rendered here paved the way for a compelling and satisfying terror tale that will be treasured for years to come.
Final Grade: A
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| An uneasy slow burn, Get Out boils over to tremendous effect in the closing reel. |
