Get Out - The Mastery of Jordan Peele

 

In general, I am not the biggest fan of horror movies. They are typically my least favorite genre and I try my best to avoid watching them however, I was a little excited to watch a movie from Jordan Peele because I always heard amazing things about the three films he has directed, Get Out, Us, and Nope. In comparison to any other films I have watched, either in this class or on my own time, Peele's style appears to be very unique, especially when compared to how horror movies are traditionally portrayed. In every film he has directed he tackles stereotypes that those apart of the Black community face every day. 

In this film, the opening shot sets the feeling the viewer has for a large part of the film. Setting the scene with a feeling of uneasiness as Andre walked down the poorly lit street and the main source of light becomes a white car heading the opposite way, only to turn around and drive right next to Andre. The first immediate jump scare comes from the masked figure jumping out of know where and dragging him into the trunk and driving away. In a way, Peele is setting the thriller and suspense aspect of the movie, while also opening the film with current issues. Slightly later on in the aftermath of the car accident with Rose driving, we see how Chris is treated by the officer and immediately becomes a suspect for a crime that hasn't even been committed even though his girlfriend steps in and says she was driving, the officer continues to request only Chris' identification. 

This continuation of racism and abuse that the Black people in the movie is a statement on the horrors that people like Chris, Andrew, Walter, and Georgina face every day. There is a repeated shot that stuck with me throughout the film, where Georgina and Chris were alone in the bedroom having an awkward conversation and she begins crying while continuing to wear a smile. This is almost mirrored later in the film when we see a shot of Chris strapped in the chair while Missy Armitage begins hypnotizing him.



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