I’ve been so busy with work recently that I’ve been really lagging behind my watching of last year nominees. Unlike the previous years, I’m throughly intrigued by the set of performances in both Best Actor and Best Actress categories, as I find them really original and unique, unlike previous years. Well, except for Gary Oldman’s blatant Oscar bait which worked in his favour I guess.
Get Out is a film that received critical acclaim, to the point that it garnered some pretty notable Oscar nods, including Best Picture, Director, and Actor. Admittedly, a cynical part of me felt that it earned these accolades because of its cultural significance, but after watching the film, I have to admit that I really thought it earned its nods. I know some people find the storyline stupid and ludicrous, but I think Jordan Peele wasn’t going for a hyper realistic film in the first place. The screenplay is also kinda in your face with its commentary about racism in America, but overall, I thought it was well handled and meaningfully made. Get Out, I feel, serves as as an effective metaphorical horror film about a grim reality, and it has no fucks to give about being subtle or “polished”. That makes me respect it even more.
But cultural significance aside, Get Out is just damn entertaining. Seriously, I initially thought I was going to pause the dvd and resume watching later but I found myself hooked from beginning to end. And a large part of it has got to do with Daniel Kaluuya’s strong leading performance as Chris Washington.
Honestly, Kaluuya’s character isn’t that original in the horror movie world. A nice, reserved man with a dark past stuck in a shitty situation and then overcomes his personal demons while fighting for his survival. What Kaluuya does so well is that instead of taking the easy way out and making Chris a horror movie stereotype, he just injects so much naturalism and charisma in the role that you find yourself inevitably rooting for him. I absolutely loved the minor details he adds to the character, such as his palpable fish out of water feeling the moment he visits the Armitrages, and how he gradually realises that something is off with the family. Like I said, it is not the most original situation but Kaluuya makes you feel Chris’ fear and suspicions so clearly, even in non-verbal scenes where he just observes the odd behaviour of the Armitrages. I also think that he makes Chris a very pleasant and likeable character actually, such as in the opening scene where he interacts with Rose. He gives off the vibe of what one would call “a fine young man”, a guy you would want to be friends with.
Naturally, the scene which presumably secured his Oscar nod would be the hypnotism scene. Without spoiling anything, I really loved how Kaluuya portrayed the deep sadness and guilt inside Chris, even going further to show how Chris has been repressing and ignoring them all along. The way he shows how he struggles not to reveal his pain was some really great acting, even though I find this “main character with a dark past” trope in horror films truly exhausting. But Kaluuya never falls into the trap of making schmaltzy and melodramatic.
The final battle scene where he fights off the villains is a pretty standard climax in horror movies, but I liked how Kaluuya portrayed Chris’ transformation into this badass who has had enough. There’s a certain ruthlessness in his eyes that makes you root for him, but more importantly (and thanks to the script too), he doesn’t make Chris an idiot. Every one of his actions and plans is believable, even those that don’t necessarily succeeed.
Overall, I’m really glad that this performance got recognised. It’s truly a breathe of fresh air in the category, and actually a strong performance. 4.5/5.
Filmfreak! 