Hello!

Continuing on from last week, we watched more horror movies in class. This time we went for a more modern one, Jordan Peele’s Get Out.

Personally, for me, this one was far scarier than Halloween. Perhaps it was because Halloween had all of those typical tropes that I’m used to and Get Out had to work with new material that wasn’t just playing off of old tropes. And I think Jordan Peele did a really good job of that.

What really made the movie for me was how unsettling everything was. It was a ‘Uncanny Valley’ moment, watching all of the characters just be have slightly off.

It’s that sense of unease, that nothing is quite right and you don’t know why. Such as the lunch scene, where Chris is going around and meeting all of the relatives. On the surface, it just seems like subtle racism with the comments that play into the stereotypes of black people. Though as you dig deeper into it, more and more people just aren’t acting right, especially when it comes to “Logan” and how unnatural everything about him is.

It’s similar to Frankenstein, and how he is almost normal but still not there. It plays into the fear of the unknown, and that sense of uncertainty and distrust that you feel when your reality isn’t how you expect it to be and people aren’t acting normally.

Get Out over all was really well done, and it was a perfect commentary on the ongoing issue of racism. I think if it were to be done in a different time, say the 80’s or 90’s, not much of the plot would change as the issue is something that can be related to any point in time. Though setting it now was the best time period to set it in. In a time where so many people believe that racism just sin’t a thing anymore because’s not ‘as bad’ as it used to be, Get Out was a healthy reminder that it is still very much prevalent in today’s society.

I want to take a moment to talk about all of the small details in this film as, for those who know me, I love detail in film.

The Deer

At the beginning of the film, Chris hits a deer with his truck. It’s one of the only proper jumpscares in the film, but it’s more than that. It leaves you with this sense on unease. Later in the film, it’s revealed that Chris feels guilty because he didn’t do anything after his mother was hit in the car accident. This is likely why he went to check on the deer, it reminded him of his mother.

But more than that is the family in relation to the deer. When Chris recounts hitting a deer to Dean, his girlfriend’s father, Dean starts to go on a rant about how that’s good, and how they’re pests that should be killed off. The whole rant has an uncanny familiarity to how certain people talk about POC. How they’re ruining neighbourhoods and how they shouldn’t be interfering with our lives. It really sets Dean up as a character, showing his true intentions from the beginning.

And then the end. The triumphant moment where Chris gets the upper hand and stabs Dean with the antler decoration on his wall. This is truly Chris taking what Dean owns and shoving it back in his face – or, more likely, his chest. In this scenario, Chris is the deer. He’s supposed to be Dean’s trophy, something he can put on display and be proud of without it causing any trouble. And Chris defies that, turning himself against Dean and killing him.

The Teacup

Missy is seen using a teacup throughout the film as a form oh hypnosis. It starts with a therapy session, sending Chris into the Sunken Place, but it does eventually get used as a weapon to try and abduct Chris. So why a teacup?

Tea in fine china cups is really considered an upper class thing. It’s nice, it’s cute, it’s dainty. How could a teacup ever be dangerous? And that’s the point. The whole purpose is this film is throwing your trust, taking things that you thought couldn’t be terrifying and making it that way. For instance, a nice white family in a nice manor. How could they ever do any harm? The teacup is just like that, hiding in plain site but equally as dangerous. When Chris breaks that cup, it breaks the illusion. A broken teacup is sharp, it can cut you, and it is shown to be dangerous.

I would also like to add on as a side note that when Georgina spills iced tea in the beginning of the film, it’s because Missy tapped her spoon against a cup and she was sent into a temporary hypnosis.

Jordan Peele did such an amazing job with this film, the commentary and the imagery is so stunning and I can’t way to see more of his work. I cold rewatch Get Out a million times and catch something new every time.

Read You Later,

Parker