A Small Diversion That Would Have Benefitted From A Smaller Format
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Marcus Henderson and Stephen Root
Studio: Universal
Rated: 14A
Running Time: 1 Hr 43 Mins
The last few weeks I’ve talked about some movies that probably would have fared better it they were mini-series or brief web shows. Rings, The Great Wall and (the overlong yawn fest) A Cure For Wellness would have been better off being told in mediums other than movies. In Wellness’ case I even suggested that it would have been better as a book, allowing a full exploration of the ideas and symbolism the movie failed to explore despite its lengthy screen time.
You can add Get Out to that list as well.
Video: Movieclips Trailers
Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) is meeting his girlfriend Rose’s (Allison Williams) family for the first time. Mother Missy (Catherine Keener) and father Dean Armitage (Bradley Whitord) live on a country estate in a small Rockefellian town that is whiter than a loaf of Wonder bread. Chris’s concerns over meeting Allison’s liberal yet socially clumsy parents seem justified when during a party all their friends stare and gawk at the only black person there like some kind of exotic zoo attraction.
But Chris soon suspects something more than mere social ignorance after observing the increasingly bizarre behaviour among the few other African Americans in town. It isn’t long before he is plunged into a mystery that threatens more than just his physical survival.
It’s a good thing Get Out was released now; any other time of year would probably see it completely buried. It is unusual to see Jordan Peele of Comedy Central fame make his directorial debut (he also wrote the film) in a suspense/thriller, which may explain why Get Out feels more like a made for TV/streaming movie. It has its moments but lacks any sense of scale or scope.
There are a few laughs (most of them courtesy of Chris’s best friends Rod played by LilRel Howery), the writing is solid and the actors all fill their roles efficiently. It succeeds in creating a claustrophobic threat and while the film skirts the more polarizing aspects of American race relations (probably a wise move given it’s small format), it does offer a genuine look at day to day life for young African Americans in predominantly white society (meaning you can expect enthusiastic boycotts from people and political groups who were never going to see it in the first place).
Get Out manages to build a little suspenseful steam before the reveal but the transition from narrative buildup to bloody resolution feels rushed and almost disingenuous. There is some visceral value in a few of the final action beats but they would have felt much more satisfying if the movie had the chance to build up the backstory a little more. A less restrictive format would have done the story justice.
But having said all that, Get Out is going to be a humble but definite commercial success. Peele has a strong existing fan base it will likely tap into and it cost less than 5 million to make. It grossed 1.8 million on advance Thursday screenings alone and is expected to pull in anywhere between 18 and 20 million in its first weekend, meaning it will probably break even by Monday and every dollar it rakes in after that is pure gravy.
And in the end, it probably will enjoy a healthy life in streaming.
Image: Universal Pictures
