“Get Out!”
“This is a whole nother level!” Jordan Peele's former partner, Keegan-Michael Key, had a
character on Mad TV who would meet other celebrities and talk about how
what they were doing was a “whole nudda’ level!” with increasing volume,
pitch, and intensity. It was a funny bit.
And now it seems Jordan Peele has taken things to a “Ho Nuh Le’el!!!”
himself. After appearances in a number of films and his own successful
Comedy Central show with partner Key, Jordan Peele took the horror
world by storm when he announced the arrival of
“Get Out” this past fall. And, good lord, does he hit that next level!
Photographer “Chris” (Daniel Kaluuya) and his
girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams) are heading out to visit her parents
for an annual weekend gathering. Naturally, Chris is concerned with
possible racial tension between he and her family
when he reminds her that he is, in fact, black. She is, in fact, white.
He is afraid the affluent family may not be entirely comfortable with
the racial differences of the couple. But there’s nothing to fear here,
she assures him. And the family seems all
too interested in setting the young man’s mind at ease. Dad would have
gladly voted Obama for a third term and everyone wants Chris to know
that they are very cool with him being black. Their friends, nearly all
white and affluent, are also perfectly fine
with his being black. Many are uncomfortably admiring his blackness,
not only as an exotic state but one of utmost importance. Everyone seems
very glad that Chris is black and they constantly ask about his
experiences as a black man in America.
It's a stark look at race relations in the modern
era. These people aren’t looking to lynch Chris or use the dreaded “N”
word… what they are is far scarier and far more accurate a portrayal of
racism in the modern era. And horror does what
it supposed to do as it peels back the layers to reveal a darkness
within that we are often too frightened to look at ourselves. This is
horror at it’s absolute best! It’s a whole nother level. It’s a
brilliant exploration with some complex performances, especially
from Kaluuya and Williams, who carry the film on their respective
shoulders. From the horror and dread, Peele knows how to turn that screw
and then release the valve at the right moments with uncomfortable
levity and downright hilarious dialogue from Chris’
best friend, played by Lil Rel howery.
9.5 in this PERFECT exploration of racial tension
through the horror lens. If you love horror, see this movie. If race
relations concern you, see this movie. If you love brilliant direction
and fine performances, SEE THIS MOVIE!!! Look,
just see this movie… it is the best thing I’ve seen so far from 2017
and it’s going to take a whole lot to rattle this ones standing.
*Streaming Review: Netflix
I am Not a Serial Killer
Based on the first in a series of books by author
Dan Wells, this film stars Max Records as protagonist teen, John Wayne
Cleaver. He’s a young man who lives and works with his mother and aunt
in their mortuary business. He’s got trouble
at school, doesn’t have too many friends, and he’s a sociopath well on
his way to being a serial killer. But John doesn’t want that and so he
follows a strict set of rules in order to maintain a sense of
“normalcy”, which includes maintaining friendships,
social interaction (including a terrific performance from Christopher
Lloyd as Johns neighbor, a sickly man devoted to his wife while living
out his final days), regular meetings with his therapist, avoiding
patterns of stalking, and complimenting peope he
has a desire to kill. And all seems balanced, such as it is, until his
small town is beset by a series of strange and grisly murders.
John is intrigued that there may be someone just
like him in his too-small village and goes about trying to solve the
case and piece together the clues, which upsets his pattern of rules and
sends him on a spiral that could cost him the
fragile humanity he struggles to maintain. The twists and turns are
constant and the film constantly reminds us that Johns hold on humanity
is fragile at best.
9 out of 10 and a definite “must see” for genre fans.
*EDIT: I incorrectly identified Jordan Peele's partner, Keegan-Michael Key due to misreading a photograph on IMDB. The review has been corrected.
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