Get Out (2017): A Piece of Film Criticism

A piece of film criticism about a film that you admire:

Get Out (2017) is a film woven together by metaphor and meaning, not a frame goes by where director Jordan Peele hasn’t taken the opportunity to create a tapestry of meaning. From the opening scene we are slapped in the face with pure terror and foreboding, Peele doesn’t miss a beat when optimising his surroundings and utilising every element at his disposal.

For this piece of film criticism, I fear I could write a dissertation on the symbolism and meaning within the film Get Out (2017). So, for this BFI submission I will be solely concentrating on the opening scene.

The film opens to a quiet, peaceful neighbourhood which most would deem idyllic but as moments pass it becomes ominously quiet. Andre, a young black man walks into frame talking on the phone, keeping himself distracted from his obvious discomfort. The scene is captured by one continuous shot, it keeps the audience engrossed and able to experience this scene in real time alongside Andre. Instantly, the viewer is positioned in the shoes of a black man walking through a white neighbourhood, checking over our shoulder and naturally suspicious of our surroundings.

Jordan Peele opted for a steadicam whilst following Andre walking down the street, similarly to classic horror films like The Shining (1980) or Halloween (1978) this evokes a sense of unease for the viewer, as though the subject is being watched without their knowledge.

The mise en scène effortlessly portrays the film's atmosphere and mood before anything sinister happens. The intense shadows, high hedges and low key lighting from the street lights; everything within the frame is conveying the stories undertone, Andre is vulnerable and “sticking out like a sore thumb”.

We sadly don’t have much time with Andre before he is abducted but his performance leaves a lasting impression. Portrayed by LaKeith Stanfield he brings an ease to the role, an effortless likability and vulnerability to Andre with only a handful of lines. He is able to interject comedy into the scene with his quick commentary of the area around him and attempting to avoid conflict later in the scene.

The conflict quickly approaches when Andre turns a corner and a white car drives past him, the viewer instantly notices the threat thanks to the camera movement tracking the car. We watch as it turns around and pulls up alongside Andre. Without any action or dialogue, the audience is thrown into a universal sense of dread, someone is watching me. As the car pulls up next to Andre unsettling music can be heard from inside, Flanagan & Allen’s 1939 song, ‘Run, Rabbit, Run’. This is an undeniably disconcerting moment but Andre acts with realism, he abruptly turns and walks in the opposite direction, we hope, to safety.

As the camera follows Andre the audience is left helplessly unable to see the car for what feels like an eternity. This is when the singular tracking shot works perfectly, keeping the audience in a state of unease and able to predetermine the next moment. As Andre walks behind the car we notice it idling with the door left open, before the viewer has a moment to collect their thoughts Andre is attacked. At that moment Peele chooses to lower the camera so the viewer cannot see the identity of Andre’s assailant. Keeping the angle low as Andre is dragged to the car, all whilst accompanied by the non-diegetic sound of ‘Run, Rabbit, Run’.

‘Run, Rabbit, Run’ is a haunting accompaniment to this scene, it is a playful, almost cheerful song which instantly juxtaposes the action within the scene. The song explores hunting, escape and the fear of being caught, it follows the vulnerable rabbit running away from a predator. The song is a perfect reflection of this scene and the film as a whole, Andre is the rabbit and his capture is the predator, watching in the shadows and waiting to pounce. This song choice is eerily memorable and packs a punch when you continue through the film, it is a poetic metaphor for Chris Washington as he is hunted through the film.

The opening scene as a whole cannot be discussed without the obvious relationship to reality at the time of its release and presently. Get Out (2017) is tethered to reality, this scene and the film as a whole navigates the thin line between fiction and reality. Get Out is a horror film, it is a film which explores the horrors of racism and society. Jordan Peele is perfectly able to execute a simplistic scene that begins to explore and investigate the overarching theme of the film; racism.

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Thank you for reading.

Written by Film Probe for BFI LFF Critics Mentorship Programme 2025 application.