Get Out

Giving a satirical jolt to what has been described as Guess Who's Coming to Dinner meets The Stepford Wives, actor Jordan Peele in his directing debut has created one of the most astute, critically acclaimed horror movies in recent years. As Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) packs to join his girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), for a weekend in the country to meet her parents, he hesitantly asks if she's told them that he's black. Chris's paranoid buddy (Lil Rel Howery) has warned him not to go, and viewers are already wary after witnessing a prologue in which a black pedestrian in suburbia is stalked and stuffed into the trunk of a car. But Rose quickly assures Chris that her parents, Missy and Dean (Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford), will welcome him with open arms. Dean's a neurosurgeon, an Obama-admirer who says it's cool to be black, and Missy's an Earth Mother-type hypnotherapist, offering to help Chris stop smoking. Chris's uneasiness is amplified by the eerily ominous African-American housekeeper (Betty Gabriel) and gardener (Marcus Henderson) who cared for Rose's elderly grandparents and are “like family.” Plus, Rose's pugnacious brother (Caleb Landry Jones) seems overly competitive. At a garden party, the elite guests' stereotypical veneer cracks, leading to bizarre behavior that impels Chris to try to escape. Having honed his skills on Comedy Central's Key & Peele, the director's subversive, surrealist Get Out depicts the soul-sucking danger posed by so-called liberals, making for a scathing commentary on racial tensions in America. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director Jordan Peele, deleted scenes (23 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurette “Unveiling the Horror of Get Out” (9 min.), a Q&A with Peele and cast including stars Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams (6 min.), and an alternate ending (4 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for this savvy horror flick.] (S. Granger)