Earlier this month, Jordan Peele sat down with the New York Times to discuss the catalyzing perspectives that shaped the inspiration for his latest film, “Get Out”. The motion picture has created global buzz, showcasing Peele’s seamless transition from comedian to thriller Writer and Director.
The synopsis of the film is as follows: Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invited him for a weekend getaway upstate with her parents, Missy (Catherine Keener) and Dean (Bradley Whitford) Armitage. At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined (IMDb).
In his interview with NY Times, Peele reflects on the relationship between comedy and horror and how his experiences have influenced his success,
“The best comedy and horror feel like they take place in reality. You have a rule or two you are bending or heightening, but the world around it is real. I felt like everything I learned in comedy, I could apply to this movie.”
“Get Out” has perfected the balance between unrelenting, electrifying suspense and brief moments of comic relief to provide the biggest box office thriller of 2017. The most engaging aspect of the film brings to light the ongoing discussion of race and racism. Peele tells New York Times,
“This movie is also about how we deal with race. As a black man, sometimes you can’t tell if what you’re seeing has underlying bigotry, or it’s a normal conversation and you’re being paranoid. That dynamic in itself is unsettling. I admit sometimes I see race and racism when it’s not there. It’s very disorienting to be aware of certain dynamics.”
Peele was most excited about the reactions of test groups when screening the film, describing the importance of reaching a diverse audience on all levels,
“We did one test for this film, and I noticed a striking similarity with the way people experienced it. That brings me a lot of joy. I wanted to make something that has a perspective that you don’t often see, but I also wanted it to be an inclusive movie. That’s the power of story and genre. You can ask a white person to see the world through the eyes of a black person for an hour and a half” (New York Times).
Peele’s creative brilliance fused together the quintessential blend of horror and witt, while confronting the issue of racism head-on; making this film one of the most memorable and influential to date.
