What begins as a weekend meeting your girlfriend’s parents quickly turns into a nightmare when their warm welcome starts to feel anything but normal. For Night 9 of the 13 Nights of Halloween Horror, we’re watching Jordan Peele’s Get Out (2017), a psychological horror film where the real danger is hiding behind a smile.
The film follows Chris Washington, a Black photographer who travels with his white girlfriend, Rose, to meet her family for the first time. At first, her parents seem overly friendly, if a little strange. But as the weekend goes on, Chris notices unsettling behavior from the family and their staff, and he begins to suspect that something much darker is happening beneath their seemingly welcoming exterior.
What makes Get Out so effective is that its scariest moments aren’t always the ones that make you jump. Peele blends horror, satire, and psychological suspense to explore racism and the experience of being treated as an outsider. Even the film’s most uncomfortable conversations and seemingly harmless comments build a sense of dread that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Fun fact: Get Out was Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, and it went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2018. Peele became the first Black winner in the category, making the film’s impact extend well beyond the horror genre.
Get Out is available for members of the American University community to borrow on DVD from Bender Library.
Come back tomorrow to see our pick for Night 10 of the 13 Nights of Halloween Horror.