Get Out
The film subverts horror tropes by identifying the "villain" as the polite liberal elite rather than the Southern extremist.
The film subverts horror tropes by identifying the "villain" as the polite liberal elite rather than the Southern extremist.
Writer-director Jordan Peele intentionally avoided "red state" settings to bypass stereotypes of Southern racism. By placing the story in Upstate New York, the film explores the "false sense of security" found in progressive, neoliberal circles. The horror stems not from overt hate, but from a "liberal ignorance and hubris" that views Black bodies as commodities to be admired, possessed, and eventually stolen.
This critique of "post-racial" America is personified in the Armitage family. They don’t wear hoods; they host garden parties and brag about voting for Obama. The film suggests that this "colorblind" arrogance is just as dangerous as traditional prejudice, as it creates a vacuum where exploitation can be masked by politeness and fetishization.
The "Sunken Place" serves as a visceral metaphor for the systemic silencing and paralysis of Black agency.
The "Sunken Place" serves as a visceral metaphor for the systemic silencing and paralysis of Black agency.
Peele conceptualized the "Sunken Place" by imagining the sensation of falling while going to sleep—a state of being a prisoner in one's own mind. In the film’s mythology, the victim's consciousness is relegated to a dark void, forced to watch through their own eyes as if they were a literal screen, while a white "occupant" controls their physical body.
This concept acts as a multi-layered allegory for the prison industrial complex and the historical abduction of Black people. The isolation is reinforced by the film’s score; the Swahili lyrics in "Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga" translate to "listen to your ancestors," issuing a haunting warning to the protagonist: "Something bad is coming. Run."
Casting choices were "weaponized" to exploit the audience's existing trust in the lead actors.
Casting choices were "weaponized" to exploit the audience's existing trust in the lead actors.
The casting of Allison Williams as Rose Armitage was a strategic "gambit" to disorient the audience. Peele leveraged her public image of innocence—built through roles like Peter Pan—to ensure viewers would defend her character long after the red flags appeared. Williams herself described the role as a way to weaponize the traits people took for granted about her, portraying a character who is "simply evil" rather than a victim of her family's cult.
Daniel Kaluuya was chosen for his "everyman" quality and his ability to convey deep vulnerability through minimal dialogue. His performance grounds the film’s high-concept "Order of the Coagula" premise in a relatable reality, making the eventual reveal of the silent auction—where his body is sold as a prize—feel like a personal violation rather than a genre trope.
The film’s "happy ending" was a late-stage pivot driven by a shift in the real-world political climate.
The film’s "happy ending" was a late-stage pivot driven by a shift in the real-world political climate.
In the original script, the film ended with Chris being arrested by the police after killing the Armitages, reflecting the bleak reality of racial profiling. Peele intended this ending to be a "waking up" moment for the audience. However, as production began during a period of high-profile police shootings, Peele felt the cultural conversation had become sufficiently "woke" to the reality of systemic racism.
He decided that the audience needed a "hero moment" of catharsis instead. The final version maintains a moment of tension where the audience expects Chris to be arrested when sirens appear, only to reveal his friend Rod in a TSA vehicle. This shift helped the film achieve massive commercial success, grossing $255 million on a $4.5 million budget and securing Peele an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Image from Wikipedia
Get Out is Jordan Peele's directorial debut.
Allison Williams was one of the first actors to be cast in the film.
The film was partially shot at Barton Academy, a historic Greek Revival school building in Mobile, Alabama.
Daniel Kaluuya's performance garnered universal acclaim and he received his first Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG, and Critics' Choice Award nominations.