Empire Australasia August 2017

original cut, it was quite clear that the audience

needed something more hopeful and fun.

You’ve been in that situation Chris finds himself

in, where he’s one of only two black guys at

a party. How much did your own experiences as

an African-American inform the film?

Grappling with the feeling of being a minority

is a common experience. It even translates to

gender. Being the only woman at a party full of

men is a situation where you’re seen for your

identity before you’re seen as an individual with

a soul. Whereas the interactions aren’t necessarily

hateful, the accumulation and the totality of being

recognised for what you are as opposed to who

you are takes a toll and puts you in a state that’s

very vulnerable and very paranoia-inducing.

Which ends up being a perfect state, storytelling-

wise, for the protagonist of a horror movie.

The revelation in the movie, of a secret society

dedicated to placing their consciousnesses into the

bodies of black men and women, is batshit crazy.

But the invasiveness of what they’re doing, the

dehumanisation of their victims, is interesting.

Is that personal to you?

That’s the part of the black experience and

the relationship, in this country, of cultural

appropriation that I hadn’t really seen dealt with.

The demeaning element of cultural appropriation

is it feels like we’re valued for the art we bring,

the physicality we bring to sports, the things

that we make out of our pain and oppression

are valued, but the humanity and the soul still

are not. There was something about taking

what’s advantageous and leaving the rest that

is allegorical with slavery and the prison-

industrial system.

Get Out has been talked about as a possible

Oscar contender. Horror is often sneered at in

those terms. Do you even allow yourself to think

about that?

I’m very honoured to be thought about in that

light. The coolest thing about the discussion for

me is the idea that horror can be respected enough

to be in that conversation. That being said, I

don’t have any expectations. I made the movie

because I felt like we weren’t having healthy

conversations about race. What Rosemary’s Baby

did for gender is what I wanted to do for the

racial discussion.

GET OUT IS OUT 2 AUGUST ON DOWNLOAD AND

9 AUGUST ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) is caught.

Right, top to bottom:

Rose (Allison Williams) and

Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) head to

her parents’; In-laws from hell

Dean (Bradley Whitford) and

Missy (Catherine Keener);

Jordan Peele on set with

Georgina (Betty Gabriel).

What we said: “To call it

the most important movie

of the year makes it sound

worthy. That’s not true.

Get Out is a comment on

a highly complex situation

that’s also a total blast.”

Notable extras: A Peele

commentary, a Q&A by

Chance the Rapper, deleted

scenes and a making of.

GET OUT

HHHHH

RATED MA15+

THE

VERDICT

ALAMY, MARTINE BERTRAND