Movie goers are “getting out” to see new film

New movie adds depth to previously shallow genre

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Jessi Zook and Alyssa Pak

“Get Out”, the thriller/horror film released last week, netted $33.4 million dollars in its opening weekend, and was a huge success among viewers.

Jordan Peele made his directorial debut with the film. He was previously best known for his role in the sketch comedy “Key & Peele”, which he starred in, as well as co-wrote.

The movie centers around Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), who is black and planning to meet his white girlfriend Rose Armitage’s (Allison Williams) family for the first time.

Despite Rose’s assurance that her family will accept him, he’s apprehensive of racial discrimination.

Both parents welcome Chris with open arms upon arrival, but he is put off by the unusual behavior of the two black servants, Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and Logan (Kieth Stanfield).  Despite being friendly, they continue to act robotic, always smiling and obeying without hesitation.

Throughout the visit, it becomes apparent to Rose’s parents that Chris is struggling to quit smoking.  This leads Rose’s father to recommend hypnosis, which Rose’s mother specializes in as a psychiatrist. While Chris is quick to decline the help, Mrs. Armitage later insists and proceeds to hypnotize him.

Chris becomes increasingly  concerned when he meets a friend of the family who is black and is acting strangely, similar to the servants at the house.

Finally, after another series of disturbing events, Chris decides he is no longer safe in the home and struggles to make his way out.

After seeing Rotten Tomato’s 99 percent and rave reviews, it was hard to believe that the movie would live up to the high expectations.

The majority of thrillers and horror movies depend solely on jump scares, which I have never been a fan of.  I was shocked to find that “Get Out” actually had a complex plot that captivated viewers.

Peele achieved this through meshing a multitude of genres into a single movie.  Peele took on the difficult task of incorporating horror, thrills, and comedic relief.

Despite directors falling short in the past, it was obvious from the audience’s consistent engagement that Peele had been successful.

The result was a film capable of making audience members laugh and scream and enjoy every minute of it.  The movie felt fresh and took on a story line that I had never seen anyone attempt before.

The plot stuck with me even days after leaving the theater.  The disturbing plot twists forced me and other viewers to try to piece together scenes and series of events to make sense of the movie as a whole.

Though I was often tempted to disregard scenes that I didn’t understand, everything eventually converged into an unexpected ending.

Looking back, I can’t imagine the film ending any other way.

The movie, which Peele first thought of in 2008, was inspired by the Presidential Primaries, which brought to light racial tension, as well as hope for racial equality in the future.

Since then, Peele was searching for a way to finance the movie, and eventually he succeeded in doing so.

The movie was worth the nine year wait, as seen by sold out theaters everywhere and success at the box office during the opening weekend.  

Overall, I had no complaints and would recommend the movie to anyone who’s looking for a complex, thought-provoking thriller.