Critics’ reviews

Get Out (2017)

23 reviews from 23 publications. Critics’ score 85: 18 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative.

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85
Positive
18
Mixed
0
Negative
0

The reviews are strongly positive, with praise centred on Jordan Peele’s control of horror, comedy and racial satire. Most critics find that the film exposes white liberal racism through everyday discomforts while still delivering tension and shocks; the social commentary gives the horror its force. Daniel Kaluuya’s performance draws particular praise for making those anxieties felt, while the ensemble and Peele’s handling of small, unsettling details also earn repeated approval.

The differences are chiefly in the degree of enthusiasm, with reservations concerning how well the plotting sustains the promise of the build-up. The Los Angeles Times notes weaknesses in the ending, while /Film admires the wit and visceral impact but finds that the premise holds up less well under scrutiny afterwards. These are qualifications within favourable assessments: the broad consensus is that the film’s humour, unease and attention to racial behaviour work together unusually well.

Radio Times
★★★★★ · Trevor Johnston
100

The film is altogether remarkable as a socially aware horror mystery that provocatively addresses racial tensions with classic storytelling, subtle unease and imaginative shocks from a definite African-American perspective.

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RogerEbert.com
24 February 2017 · ★★★★/4 · Matt Zoller Seitz
100

The critic praises the film as a sharp, funny and scary horror-satire that uses genre conventions to expose liberal racism and the commodification of black bodies. Peele's direction and the performances, especially Daniel Kaluuya's, are singled out for making the social commentary land with visceral force.

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The New Yorker
4 March 2017 · Brandon Harris
90*

The critic lauds it as a major achievement in black cinema, commending its exploration of racial anxieties, miscegenation fears, and liberal racism through a horror lens, comparing it favorably to Moonlight.

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Empire
16 March 2017 · Olly Richards
85*

Peele's directing debut is a highly effective horror movie and satire on middle-class liberal racism that makes audiences uncomfortable while remaining very funny and entertaining throughout.

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Film Comment
3 March 2017 · Ina Diane Archer
85*

Peele balances comedy and menace in a horror film that mines genre conventions to address race and racism, with nuanced performances especially from Kaluuya. It links universal horror concerns to specific issues of blackness and microaggressions.

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The Guardian
19 March 2017 · Peter Bradshaw
85*

Peele's directorial debut is a chilling satire of liberal racism in America that starts as a modern Guess Who's Coming to Dinner before turning into a social thriller with horror elements. The critic praises the sharp writing, strong ensemble cast, and the way it hints at horrors beneath a genteel facade while delivering cathartic spectacle.

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Variety
24 January 2017 · festival review · Peter Debruge
85*

The review highlights the film's blend of horror and social satire, praising its fearless critique of race relations and white liberal attitudes, with strong performances and effective thrills; it is a must-see event from Sundance.

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Evening Standard
21 November 2017 · Charlotte O'Sullivan
80*

Kaluuya delivers a perfect performance as the lead; Peele creates a lovely off-kilter mood with visual poise, riffing on classics while proving horror suits young filmmakers.

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Little White Lies
17 February 2017 · 4/4/4 · Anton Bitel
80

Jordan Peele’s thoroughly modern horror examines racism in America with a sharp, darkly funny eye. It merges horror tropes with social commentary to expose truths about race relations, resulting in something tense, uneasy and darkly funny.

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Los Angeles Times
23 February 2017 · Justin Chang
80*

The critic praises Peele's directorial debut for its clever subversion of horror tropes and sharp critique of racial microaggressions and liberal hypocrisy, singling out the opening scene and the party sequence for their effectiveness while noting some weaknesses in the ending.

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The i Paper
16 March 2017 · ★★★★ · Matthew Turner
80

A scathing, timely satire on white liberal attitudes toward race that expertly builds tension with jet-black comedy and edge-of-your-seat horror, boasting strong performances and accomplished direction.

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Screen Daily
27 February 2017

Retro horror and racial tension mix to surprisingly entertaining effect in Jordan Peele’s feature directing debut. The build-up is quietly creepy with the feel of vintage thrillers, and the social comment is delivered with a light hand while the action has vigour and a crowd-pleasing outcome.

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Sight and Sound
16 March 2017 · Trevor Johnston

Jordan Peele’s debut is a brilliantly inventive horror that skewers the insecurities and injustices of modern America. It uses surrealism to plunge into white insecurities about black sexuality and the toxicity of slavery, with a smart and effective first hour full of unsettling everyday details.

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The Hollywood Reporter
24 January 2017 · festival review · John DeFore

The critic calls it one of the most satisfying thrillers in years and a strong directorial debut for Peele. They single out the film's sharp eye for memorable details and its timely take on racial fears.

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Vulture
23 February 2017

The review hails it as the satirical horror movie we've been waiting for, a mash-up of classic films that is more fun and illuminating. It singles out Peele's assured direction, use of horror tropes, and performances that heighten the social satire without camp.

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Collider
22 February 2017 · A- · Matt Goldberg
90

The critic praises Peele's directorial debut as a clever, witty, and disturbing horror film that delivers a sharp critique of racial dynamics and white liberalism through its twisted premise.

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The Playlist
22 February 2017 · A- · Kimber Myers
90

The critic calls it a brilliantly executed horror/satire with masterful tension and humor, praising Peele's perfect tone in handling heavy themes of race.

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The Ringer
27 February 2017 · Allison P. Davis
85*

The critic emphasizes the film's terrifying reveal of seemingly benevolent white characters, particularly Rose, as the embodiment of subtle, insidious racism that justifies paranoia.

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The Wrap
22 February 2017 · Alonso Duralde
85*

Jordan Peele’s directorial debut is an impressive horror film that nails the vibe of hidden terrors in affluent settings while mining humor from racial discomfort. The critic singles out Peele’s skillful storytelling and potent satire on race in 2017 America, along with strong performances from Catherine Keener and Lil Rel Howery.

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Den of Geek
15 March 2017 · ★★★★ · Ed Williamson
80

Peele's debut is an unpredictable horror-satire that targets white liberal fetishisation of blackness through good manners masking dread. It provokes as a thinkpiece while remaining tense and original as a genre film.

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NME
15 March 2017 · ★★★★ · Olly Richards
80

The film upends horror clichés with a smart portrait of race relations and targets self-proclaimed liberals who fetishise blackness. Peele keeps viewers uneasy with surreal details and bizarre turns that feel carefully earned.

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/Film
24 January 2017 · 7/10 · Peter Sciretta
70

The critic finds Jordan Peele's directorial debut a clever and funny thriller that mixes Meet the Parents with The Stepford Wives. He praises its smart, visceral take on elitist racism and modern slavery but notes the premise does not hold up well under post-analysis scrutiny.

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Paste
24 February 2017 · 8.7 · Andy Crump

The critic calls it a polished, well-made debut that is smart, funny, and scary, with rich thematic depth on racism and impressive craft in its tension-building and performances.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate