Opening Thought: Immensely entertaining. As original as a film in the 21st century can get. Refreshing to see a young black actor in the lead role of a big box office draw. Hollywood, keep this coming. And now… my review. 
Synopsis: Now that Chris (Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose (Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with her folks Missy and Dean. 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.
Review First off… Bravo to Jordan Peele, better known as the less funny half of Comedy Central’s mega-hit variety series, “Key & Peele.” This was a wildly entertaining film that refreshingly featured a host of well-known, and up-and-coming, black actors. It probably helps that the man responsible for creating this movie is black as well, but whatever, I digress. Progress is still progress in this country.
“Get Out” triumphs in pulling off what I call the Movie Entertainment Value (MEV) test. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat, thanks to the overall suspense buildup (black and white couple, white parents, white neighborhood… mix that with the racial turmoil of ALL of 2016, plus the historical stuff… Yea, you feel it? Of course you do) and then, of course, Keener’s eerily calm medicine woman act added to that even more. Then all the racially awkward moments, like the dinner table scene and the big family gathering, sprinkled more suspense on a film already dripping with it from its trailer.
What comes next is the acting; Daniel Kaluuya’s lead performance as Chris was a ‘very good start’ for the relatively unknown Nigerian-British actor. There were a few times I couldn’t tell if the guy was happy or confused, but I definitely knew when he was terrified. All in all, a strong performance for this guy and I look forward to seeing more from him in Marvel’s Black Panther film next year. Another performance worth mentioning is that of fellow newcomer Allison Williams as Chris’ sweet, rich white girlfriend “Rose.” Williams, the real-life daughter of famed ‘NBC Nightly News’ anchor Brian Williams, proved she’s the real talent in the family. I don’t know why we’re just hearing about her now, but this pretty little brunette can act her butt off because, in this film, she had us all fooled.
Then there is the comic relief, thanks in large part to Lil Rel Howery as Chris’s loudmouth best friend “Rod.” A Chicago comedian associated with Kevin Hart, this dude could have a future ahead of him if he keeps the momentum he picked up from “Get Out” up.
And, finally, there’s the violence, which, probably due to the subject matter and what is at stake plot-wise, comes in boatloads in the third act. I will tell you this: “Get Out” is not for the faint of heart, so if you cannot deal with the racial awkwardness and cringe-worthy moments, stay home or go see “La La Land.”
If, however, you’re a well-adjusted individual and don’t mind seeing a few characters get exactly what they deserve, then “Get Out” is a film you should seriously entertain spending the price of admission on. I sincerely doubt Peele intended this movie to be interpreted as a statement about race in the US, but I can see why some would think that. I for one, don’t, because all I see is a movie simply saying, “Sometimes evil people, who just so happen to be white, need to have their brains bashed in.” And in this movie, it’s not even really about race (if you can believe it), its about survival.
The Critic’s Choice: 3.9 out of 5 stars