Get Out by Jordan Peele tells the story of a bizarre and horrifying adventure of a young African-American man named Chris. At first, it seems like Chris has achieved the dream life: he’s a successful photographer, lives in an expensive apartment, and has a reliable white girlfriend named Rose. Their relationship is loving and stable; Rose even wants to introduce Chris to her parents. Chris has his doubts at first as he is not sure Rose’s white parents will accept their relationship, but eventually agrees to the meet-up. Unfortunately for Chris, Rose is a psychopath who plants white brains inside black bodies through neurosurgery. And Chris is her next victim. Through the chilling actions of Rose’s family, Jordan Peele exposes and explores themes such as cultural appropriation and silent racism. 

“Get Out”, while not overtly gory, is still chilling to the bone. The film amplifies the unease of Chris and the sense that something is just not right with Rose’s family. The black servants are too servile. The house is too white. And the family is too friendly to African Americans to the point of microaggression. Chris is never really in complete danger, yet the audience can feel the tension within the twisted family and their unnatural obsession with black culture. At first, this tension is created through mildly racial commentary; the family is still polite, yet the hate and prejudice are undeniably present. It's impossible for Chris to call out the family for it–the racism is hidden under layers and covers of civility and compliments. The audience, even when presented with a perfect, white, culturally accepting family, feels the same discomfort Chris feels. 

The unnerving ambiance of the film is also portrayed through the black servants. Chris is glad at first to see someone of his culture amongst so many whites, but is unnerved to see that there is something off about the servants.  They talk and move strangely–almost as if they are being controlled or repressed. Interestingly, this shouldn’t be enough to transform the film into the terrifying flick it undoubtedly is. A couple of servants acting strangely shouldn’t be too scary. Instead, it’s terrifying. The film successfully transforms awkward servants into horror and heightens unease. Chris doesn’t feel safe, and neither does the audience. Just like Chris, who is powerless under Rose’s overbearing family, the audience is powerless to scream “GET OUT” at Chris as scene after scene unfolds, with stranger and creepier servants and racial comments. 

The nature of Rose’s family exposes the hypocrisy of cultural appropriation. Rose’s family never truly attempts to understand African American culture. They want what black culture represents to them: “coolness” and physicality, but don’t want to truly understand and appropriate the culture. Instead of adopting and spreading customs, they enforce stereotypes while also robbing the authenticity of black culture as a whole. In other words, Rose’s family only wants the benefits of the African American identity; they don’t want the marginalization and painful past that is unfortunately ingrained within the culture. Culture is not spread; instead, it is grossly fetized and misunderstood under common stereotypes.