donderdag 12 oktober 2017

Get Out - Post-Obama horror from the Trump era


Get Out - Post-Obama horror from the Trump Era 
(2016, Jordan Peele)

A feature length debut for its director, this horror movie with satirical overtones became a sensational hit in the US and abroad.

Chris, a young Afro-American guy, reluctantly accepts the invitation of his white girlfriend Rose to spend a weekend at her parents' home, an isolated estate in the countryside. Chris immediately starts having odd feelings about the atmosphere on the estate but concludes that Rose's parents are unsure about their daughter's interracial relationship. He's an understanding guy and thinks it's all understandable. But soon things start becoming more unsettling and ... well, you'd better find out for yourself what is exactly going on over there.  

This is clearly a liberal movie aimed a liberal audiences. This might - at least for a part - explain its immense success and critical acclaim (it holds a 99% approval rating at rotten tomatoes): critics must have felt that negative reactions would inevitably lead to accusations of racial prejudice (or worse). The villains in the movie are no rednecks, but the kind of white people - labeled ironically as 'West-Wing liberals' in some comments  - who would have voted for Obama for the third time and support movements against racism. But for all their good intentions, they wouldn't consider - not even for a moment - to give up their comfortable social positions. In other words: it's all about white privilege. If that's the message you want to hear, this is the movie you were waiting for.

It's easy to understand why people like this movie, but I don't share their enthusiasm. Get Out isn't bad, it tackles serious social problems, it's very well acted (especially by Daniel Kaluuya as Chris) and it most certainly will hold your attention. But as a satire it's often too blunt, too unsubtle to be incisive and as a horror movie it feels too much like Frankenstein for the Millennium generation to be fully effective. Director Peele is best known for his contributions (both as an actor and writer) to comedy shows like Key & Peele and MadTv and his movie offers a few very funny moments but they almost feel out of place. Unfortunately Peele also  robs his movie from its most logical ending by introducing a final twist that virtually denies the entire movie. The original ending was filmed and is still available as an extra on various releases, but apparently Peele was afraid to hurt audiences' feelings with it. 
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Director: Jordan Peele - Cast: Daniel Kaluuya (Chris), Allison Williams (Rose Armitage), Bradley Whitford (Dean Armitage), Catherine Keener (Missy Armitage), Caleb Landry Jones (Jeremy Armitage), Lil Rel Howery (Rod ), Betty Gabriel (Georgina), Marcus Henderson (Walter), LaKeith Stanfield,  Stephen Root, Erika Alexander, Geraldine Singer


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