*BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.
Jordan Peele’s 2017 ‘Get Out’ redefined the horror genre. The racial thriller follows a young Black man Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) as he spends the weekend with his white girlfriend Rose’s aggressively ‘non-racist’ family.
The film opens with an unidentified Black man walking through an affluent suburban neighbourhood. Although we have been conditioned to normally perceive him as the ‘threat’ lurking in the shadows, it is clear from the get-go that he is the one in danger. He stays on the phone to a friend as a white car pulls up behind him. The last thing we hear him say is ‘not today, not me’. Cut to Run Rabbit and the opening title sequence.
So what was it about the film that follows that continues to stay relevant and push cinematic boundaries three years on?
Skilfully avoiding the ‘BIPOC is the first one to die’ and ‘the handsome white boy saves everyone’ tropes, Peele centres a Black man as the protagonist in the film which is not only so refreshing but positions the viewer to see the world through his eyes and immediately empathise with Chris. This is further emphasised by the amplified racial tension sustained throughout the film. Peele makes the ensuing disturbing plot twist so fantastical that even a BIPOC may view it as nonsensical, just as Detectives Latoya, Drake and Garcia in the film do. It has been argued that Peele has trivialised the Black experience, but the reality is that these feelings of constant fear and uneasiness are a fundamental feature of Black lives. It has just been exaggerated for the non-Black viewer to finally feel the same way.
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
The Armitages’ attitude towards Chris epitomises that of ingrained racism. Whether it is Jeremy’s obsession with wrestling Chris because of his ‘genetic make-up and physique’, Dean saying ‘we should kill all the deer, they’re infiltrating our country’ or Missy subverting his weaknesses into his defining characteristics, these moments are the most realistic of the film. What is even more infuriating (and confusing to some) is Chris’ maintained calmness and resistance to violence until the climax. As a Black man he has had to endure this behaviour his whole life and heartbreakingly is seemingly almost desensitised to it. Whilst Rose is granted the luxury of angrily defending him, Chris sees no benefit if he reacts in the same way. This has become increasingly evident in the BLM protests that occurred over the summer. We saw the far-right pointing guns at police officers and many ‘Rose-types’ burning and looting buildings, whilst the BIPOC peacefully walking were met with tear-gas, assault and bullets. As a viewer witnessing the series of microaggressions and outright racial violence faced by Chris, I do have to say that there was nothing more gratifying than those final fight scenes against the Armitage family.
Most wildly outrageous quote: Rose’s aunt asking her ‘is it better?’ after meeting Chris, or another male relative stating that ‘Black is in fashion’.
ROSE. OH, MY WORD, ROSE. One of the most well-done but terrifying characters to ever exist. Rose embodies the modern ‘white feminist’, both totally ignorant of intersectionality and the true lived experience of BIPOC. While she seems perfectly sympathetic to Chris’ situation – calling out subtle racism, defending him to the police officer, offering to leave and reacting the way an ideal ‘woke’ ally would – she does this only to strengthen her own motives.
For instance, the white saviour role that she takes up during Chris’ interrogation is not her moral defence of her boyfriend being unfairly treated. It is her method of eliminating the paper trail, so he cannot be located after he goes missing. A.K.A., after the brain of a white man is transplanted into Chris’, and he becomes a passenger in his own body. As best described by Allison Williams who portrays Rose, ‘she is unequivocally an evil person. Irredeemable, no asterisks, just evil’ Besides, did you see that scene where she drinks the milk and eats Lucky Charms separately? Yes, it is clearly about the division of white people and BIPOC, but who actually drinks milk like that? Terrifying.
Best Rose scene: Looking for the car keys on the stairs.
The armchair hypnosis scene is truly the most ingenious of the entire movie. The colonial teacup, the increasing volume of the spoon, the clear power plays, and the all too famous snapshot of a single tear falling down Kaluuya’s cheek. Missy tells Chris to ‘sink’ and boom – he is immersed in ‘The Sunken Place’. On a literal level, this void represents Chris’ vulnerability to the Armitages’, and his entrapment in the estate. But The Sunken Place, as Peele describes, is also ‘where we are all in’. It refers to how Black people are silenced ‘no matter how hard they try to scream’. They are continually marginalised in a world where white supremacy is increasingly rampant. (Not so) shockingly, Chris tries to explain away this behaviour and reassures himself that there is nothing wrong with his girlfriend’s family. He was drinking too much, he allowed Missy to hypnotise him, and overarchingly they are good people. Too often is this the mentality of BIPOC when experiencing racism – to rationalise the behaviour and accept fault themselves rather than the perpetrator. This draws further parallels with events this summer – as people attempted to justify the actions of police officers who killed Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Elijah McClain. ‘It was their fault’. But can it really be your fault when your girlfriend’s mother hypnotises you? Can it really be your fault when you are murdered while sleeping in your own home?
Best metaphor: The Sunken Place (so amazing it is now the centre of a UCLA course)
Chris’ final escape from the house is magnificent. To set himself free, he picks cotton (!!) from the leather chair he is bound to in order to halt his hypnosis. The symbol of his enslaved ancestor’s oppression becomes his ticket to freedom. As we start screaming at Chris to literally ‘GET OUT’ of this hell hole, we see his first acts of (justifiable) violence unfold. The other Black characters still trapped in The Sunken Place are successfully freed. This includes the gardener Walter, who reclaims his body from Rose’s implanted grandfather and shoots her in defence of Chris. Tragically, he then decides to turn the gun on himself. This lost sense of self is an unfortunate reality for those who have been trapped in The Sunken Place for too long.
Best kill: Jeremy’s death by deer.
Stomachs drop when the blue and red flashing lights cover the bodies of the Armitage family and Chris slowly raises his hands, already understanding his fate. It is over. Rose knows this too, recognising her ‘get out of jail free card’ as she screams for help. Chris, the obvious perpetrator in this bloody scene, is going to jail and never returning. Again, as evidenced this year, the blind belief that BIPOC are undisputed suspects and/or violent criminals despite being actual victims has ended up destroying lives and causing irreparable harm. Our hearts break knowing that the same will happen to Chris. Luckily, this time it is our old friend Rod, Chris’ best pal (and underrated hero). He helps Chris into the police car and the two ride off into the dark woods, leaving the horrifying family and the events of the weekend behind them.
