Thanks for this post. I agree with you about the relative merits of Peele's work. And I also agree that the humor of the film in general and of Rod's warnings specifically, was the key to making Get Out such a success. Both as a movie and as a carrier of a message.
You got it backwards. It's not the the social awkwardness of white people around black people that got extrapolated. It's the horror that is disguised and reduced to benevolent awkwardness. Behold the coagula, even here.
I liked "Nope" too, and I'm glad you noticed the critique on race that I did. But I didn't really see its ambiguity as a negative. The other people I watched it with read it more as a critique of our obsession with fame and attention—a critique backed up by Peele's comments during its promotion. I don't know if I would say I liked "Nope" more than "Get Out," but it felt like a step forward. "Get Out" felt like a statement. "Nope" felt like a story with multiple valid readings. Because it was more morally ambiguous, I didn't feel like it was telling me what to think about it.
Good article. I wondered at people around me liking Us equally. To me it was a mess. And thanks for the too-kind critique of Hunters. It was worse than bad; it was insulting. How about a show about hunting real antisemites instead of fake ones. Too real?
Interesting perspective on Peele's work! I very much liked all films, but I didn't focus so much on the critiques Peele was making but the way the horrors were depicted, the cinematography, and how I could relate to all that on a universal level. I may be wrong, but I didn't find Us focusing on race so much, but maybe it was subliminal. I'm curious to see what he does with Kojima for "OD", which is going to be a game unlike any other, introducing a new medium into the mix too. Peele is working with him at some capacity on this project.
Even though I like Us more than you did, this is a very perceptive analysis of Peele’s work and I suspect my more detached enjoyment of the film as a functioning horror film doesn’t mean your commentary isn’t correct. When I was younger I used to just enjoy horror films-- and other films-- for the style, and it seems that in 2023 it’s becoming harder for me to avoid the dimension where they’re connected to what really is going on in our society. I think I’m just barely smart enough to let that way of experiencing them in, while still continuing to enjoy them. Good piece!
Great conclusion.
Thanks for this post. I agree with you about the relative merits of Peele's work. And I also agree that the humor of the film in general and of Rod's warnings specifically, was the key to making Get Out such a success. Both as a movie and as a carrier of a message.
You got it backwards. It's not the the social awkwardness of white people around black people that got extrapolated. It's the horror that is disguised and reduced to benevolent awkwardness. Behold the coagula, even here.
I liked "Nope" too, and I'm glad you noticed the critique on race that I did. But I didn't really see its ambiguity as a negative. The other people I watched it with read it more as a critique of our obsession with fame and attention—a critique backed up by Peele's comments during its promotion. I don't know if I would say I liked "Nope" more than "Get Out," but it felt like a step forward. "Get Out" felt like a statement. "Nope" felt like a story with multiple valid readings. Because it was more morally ambiguous, I didn't feel like it was telling me what to think about it.
Good article. I wondered at people around me liking Us equally. To me it was a mess. And thanks for the too-kind critique of Hunters. It was worse than bad; it was insulting. How about a show about hunting real antisemites instead of fake ones. Too real?
Interesting perspective on Peele's work! I very much liked all films, but I didn't focus so much on the critiques Peele was making but the way the horrors were depicted, the cinematography, and how I could relate to all that on a universal level. I may be wrong, but I didn't find Us focusing on race so much, but maybe it was subliminal. I'm curious to see what he does with Kojima for "OD", which is going to be a game unlike any other, introducing a new medium into the mix too. Peele is working with him at some capacity on this project.
Even though I like Us more than you did, this is a very perceptive analysis of Peele’s work and I suspect my more detached enjoyment of the film as a functioning horror film doesn’t mean your commentary isn’t correct. When I was younger I used to just enjoy horror films-- and other films-- for the style, and it seems that in 2023 it’s becoming harder for me to avoid the dimension where they’re connected to what really is going on in our society. I think I’m just barely smart enough to let that way of experiencing them in, while still continuing to enjoy them. Good piece!