Get Out is a Black Horror Noir film following Chris Washington as he meets his White girlfriend’s liberal family for the first time. The film builds tension from start to finish, starting with the family’s uncomfortable microaggressions and gradually building until Chris comes face-to-face with the literal desire to control Black bodies. Though Get Out was released in 2017, it remains a rare mainstream validation of Black fears and experience regarding racist discourse.
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The wide camera and deliberate use of unseen space (behind Chris, behind the corner, up the stairs) makes what would otherwise be an awkward conversation with Rose’s out of touch, liberal parents much more sinister—as if the camera itself asks what’s being hidden from Chris. |
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Dean Armitage leads an ominous, silent auction for control of Chris’ body—though he never actually says his intent, it’s obvious in the context of the film. |
Get Out dramatically emphasizes the idea of hidden or veiled evil like most horror, but subverts the genre by using a family’s violently racist plans instead of typical subjects like a demon or a slasher villain. The dialogue is most important to this emphasis, with the Armitage family expressing their racism in increasingly blatant microaggressions and dogwhistles while shielding their true intentions behind a preemptive and defensive hurt at even potentially being seen as racist. Even the film’s use of ominous music and wide camera angles, which reveal spaces and threats Chris can’t see, build tension while validating Chris’ fears that the family’s verbal shield hides a sinister underbelly. This validation is perhaps Get Out’s most significant aspect, as the film reasonably assumes its Black characters’ experience with racism equips them to know when something is “off” rather than demanding more proof or prioritizing the offenders’ feelings. Thus, Get Out forms a powerful argument about taking Black experiences and fears seriously, particularly those regarding comments or dogwhistles others may find easy to brush off as harmless.
Discussion Questions
How far have we, as a society, come from 2017 when it comes to taking Black experiences (and/or the experiences of marginalized groups in general) seriously? What has or has not changed, and what would you like to see improved?
In the film, the Armitage family defends their questionable statements with a preemptive and defensive hurt that seems very specific to White liberals (“White family, black servants. It's a total clich… But boy, I hate how it looks… By the way, I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could”). Is there any significance to this portrayal, particularly given Get Out’s release date in a year that saw neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville?
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