Peele’s first feature as director offers frightful lessons on racism

You think you’re scared of meeting your girlfriend or boyfriend’s parents? The thriller/horror movie “Get Out,” which was released on Feb 24, brought meeting the parents to a whole new level.

The movie is about a young interracial couple, Chris and Rose, who have reached the point in their relationship where it’s time for Chris to meet Rose’s parents. As if the nerve of her parents finding out that he is African American dating their caucasian daughter isn’t enough, there are also strange things happening in the area that Rose’s parents live in, which is mainly inhabited by white people, who have black people working for them.

As it comes to Chris’ attention that there have been multiple disappearances of African Americans upstate near where Rose’s family lives, things start to get suspicious for Chris’ friend who worries about his Chris’ safety. But, of course, like every other character in a scary movie, he brushes the suspicions off.

“Get Out” is directed and screenplayed by Jordan Peele, who is an actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. He was famously involved in the Emmy award winning comedy show, “Key and Peele,” before directing “Get Out,” which is the first movie he has directed. The movie also was inspired by some of his own experiences in interracial relationships where he was the African American guy meeting his caucasian girlfriend’s family. The same feelings of anxiety, fear and paranoia in the movie were influenced by Peele’s encounters.

The plot line is just the superficial part of the film, as it also features an exposition of a time Peele calls the “post-racial lie” in America. The movie is set to take place after President Barack Obama’s election, and the point that Peele wanted to put across was that just because we have gotten our black president, racism is not dead. Some people believe that after that election, racism does not exist anymore, and should not be talked about, but this is not the case. If anything, it should continue to be spoken about and spoken about more because there are many other problems dealing with racial inequality that many people don’t address.

Another point in the movie that Peele wanted to be known was that race was not something that we should be afraid to talk about or neglect to, and it is not uncommon. Everyone of color experiences racism in a different way, but the effects of it have the same results in people.

The movie has reached number one at the box office and earned a rating of 99 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s a movie that leaves people at the edge of their seat while giving them a good scare and a lot to think about.