Do you know who is the best actress to portray a villain? Nope, you guessed it wrong, which means you have not seen An American Crime starring Catherine Keener as Gertrude Baniszewski. If the name of Gertrude Baniszewski itself, by the way, does not ring a bell, then Wikipedia or Google will certainly do that for you. Jordan Peele’s GET OUT wins, undoubtedly, having Catherine Keener as a great asset, but wins not only because of that fact, but due to the great writing, uncompromising storyline, and I guess, an-instant-grabber-attitude that will keep you and the entire auditorium at the edge of the seat.
Chris Washington is a young African-American man with only one friend left in his entire life. However, his life changes significantly after meeting a Caucasian girlfriend, Rose, who invites him to spend the weekend at her mysterious family estate. The first incident happens on their way to the mansion when they hit a deer. But that was just the beginning of a nightmare, when Chris soon realizes the only way to come out of it alive is to get out of that estate as quickly as possible… But the problem is, Missy Armitage, Rose’s mother, is a skillful hypnotist who knows well how to control the human mind…
The opening scene of the film was masterful, well-paced and gradually becomes an excellent starting point for something really amazing. Yes, the film itself contains lots of violent scenes, but that did not bother much, as it justified the need and the importance of the character who had to do what was needed at certain circumstances. When Chris and Rose arrive at her estate, her parents, Dean (Bradley Whitford) and Missy Armitage (Catherine Keener) were suspiciously welcoming. By then you will start asking yourself if everything’s alright with the family. But no, instead, Missy or Dean at least try to hide something from the viewer, their facial expression, especially Missy’s gives a chilling feeling tha you cannot expect anything good from people with that maniac look on their face.
But the Armitage Family was not the only one with a haunting facial expression. Their servants, especially Georgina (what a fabulous performance by Betty Gabriel), who, trust me you would never wanted to have in your house even as a guest. Being an African American, Chris finds himself surrounded by white people whose servants are black. Strange or not, but soon he will find weird things that happen in the house, especially Missy, who looks like she already holds a key that might be able to lock Chris’ mind for good or bad… it’s up to you to decide…
GET OUT is a very unusual horror movie with the element of thriller and suspense. While the performance of the entire cast was truly outstanding, I should emphasize the lead actor’s performance when Daniel Kaluuya was brave enough to handle close-up scenes with such ease, that you might find yourself stunned by it. Well, it will be unnecessary mentioning how excellent Catherine Keener was. I just wish she could have more screening time than she had. But in the end, the directorial approach is what made this film to stand out. The character development is fascinating and the movie itself had enough nail-biting scenes that will make you scream, “Chris, just get out of this estate.” But the whole problem is, he won’t hear you or anyone else. He will be left alone to handle a terrifying situation, and I am afraid, you will feel yourself as hopeless as him… because you will be long disappeared along with Chris in that big house from where you will try to escape along with him…