The horrors of 'Get Out' are real: Jordan Peele's deconstruction of racism is even scarier now

The horrors of 'Get Out' are real: Jordan Peele's deconstruction of racism is even scarier now
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic

When “Get Out” came out in 2017, it was terrifying.

It’s even scarier now.

Jordan Peele’s directing debut used the horrors of racism to fuel an actual horror movie. A really good one, too, nominated for best picture at the Oscars – one of the best scary movies of the last few years, and certainly the most relevant.

The film hasn’t changed, of course. The world has. We have.

The horrors of “Get Out” aren't limited to the movie screen; they never were. But the growing boldness of racists and bigoted behavior bring its message into even sharper focus today.

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Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) better heed the warning in the title "Get Out."
The takedown of phony liberal wokeness is still brutal
What seemed like poetic license used to make a point now seems steeped in elements of reality. The takedown of phony liberal wokeness is brutal in its effectiveness. Watching it again now rekindles the original thrill of seeing an expertly made horror film. Peele won an Oscar for the screenplay, and his direction is taut and inviting, all the better to scare you.

But it’s also kind of depressing.

Like any good tale of terror, the premise begins innocently enough. Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is making plans with his girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), to visit her family in upstate New York. He’s a little nervous. Chris is Black and Rose is white.

Don’t worry, Rose assures him, and then drops what’s become the most iconic go-to statement of faux support since, “Some of my best friends are Black.”

“My dad would’ve voted for Obama a third time if he could’ve.”

Of course, Rose’s father, Dean (Bradley Whitford), later repeats the line. It’s funny, it’s cringey, it’s so obviously inauthentic. But at that point we don’t know how inauthentic. It just seems like a stupid thing for a white person to say to a Black person to signal their supposed solidarity. It’s embarrassing, not dangerous.

Or is it?

Daniel Kaluuya stars in Jordan Peele's satirical horror hit "Get Out."
The movie's ending could've been way more upsetting
If you haven’t seen “Get Out,” you should watch it before you read further. You should watch it anyway. Whatever the case, spoilers abound from here on.

A quick synopsis: While outwardly welcoming, Dean and his wife Missy (Catherine Keener) are actually running a bizarre scheme where they kidnap Black people and Dean, a surgeon, grafts the essence or soul or something (the details are a little fuzzy) of white friends onto the person they’ve captured.