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Horrors of Get out

Horrors of get out

Fiorella Paredes

Language and literature department, State College of Florida

ENC 1101: Written communication I

Film Genre Essay

Professor Anastasia Bojanowski

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Horror movies are usually showing people's worst fears on screen.​ ​Many

horror films have an evil antagonist that is always trying to hurt or kill the protagonist.

This genre is nothing new, since it has been told through many years. “Before there

were horror movies, there were written or spoken narratives, Fables handed down from

one generation to the next.” (Dixon, 2010, p.1). This is when horror films came to light

by using old stories and showing people what they fear,or getting in touch with their

emotions as they relate to the character. It is also an “important genre for...and

popular culture.” (Kawin, 2012, p.3). Horror not only gives jumpscares, but they also

always have a message in the movie. It could either be to always look out or to never

trust anyone.

Jordan Peele’s ​Get out (​ 2017), is about a black character named Chris who

goes with his girlfriend, Rose, to visit her family. He soon finds out his girlfriend recruits

black people for her white family, who are old and have any medical issues, to switch

their minds into a more stronger and younger body. Chris does manage to survive by

killing all his girlfriend family members, and escaping with his friend who helps him out

during and at the end of the movie.

Jordan’s film ​Get out ​updates the film genre by returning to an old theme of

racism. It shows the point of view of how black people feel and shows from their

perspective of what they experience in the real world. This also shows the monstrosity

in humanism.

In the beginning,the opening act sets in an area that is unaware of danger.

Rose is seen getting food and going to Chris's house to visit. The whole setting is
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considered a “normal town” ( Odell and Le, 2001,p.7). It shows that Chris is unaware of

any danger and thinks that he is going to visit his girlfriends family. Most horror movies

“generally set the groundwork for a community unaware of impending danger.” (Odell

and Le, 2001, p.7). This means it will usually have the protagonist oblivious of the

danger that will soon come to them.Chris is seen having a normal conversation with his

girlfriend about meeting her family, and wondering if they knew that he is black. Which

seems to be his main concern. He goes on the car ride thinking of just meeting the

family while the audience knows that there is danger waiting to happen. This shows

that the main character thinks that they are going to have a casual day. Horror movies

can be seen in real life experiences.

Second, Horror movies can reflect real life experiences. The scene where

Chris is sitting on the couch talking to Rose's mother. She then gets Personal with him

and then hypnotizes him. Making him lost and paralyzed.This can reflect how there are

people out in the world that can manipulate you and betray your trust. It also shows

that people can learn vulnerable things about you and turn it against you, making you

feel guilty. “some may be part of our daily, conscious experience. Evil, too, may be

encountered in ordinary life or engendered in action,” (Kawin,2012,p.2). This

demonstrates that situations that you see most in horror movies can happen in real life.

Chris wakes up again feeling uneasy and confused, wondering if what happened really

happened. This is where his suspicion grows much of how other people are suspicious

of others once they do something that is considered “off”. In some horror movies it

shows the audience to be aware of their surroundings and who they have by their side.

Horror movies can make a connection to the audience's emotions.

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Furthermore, audiences can make an emotional connection to a horror film. In

the party scene Chris is getting to know everywhere at the party that Rose's family

hosted. As he walks around getting to know everyone, they made comments on his

appearance and how they know other black people. They mostly saw him as a display

then as a regular human. This can create a connection on how black people feel when

they hear stereotypical comments that were portrayed in the movie.” It can put us in

touch with old emotions and reactions.” (Kawin, 2012,p.4). This represents the point of

view of how uncomfortable black people feel when being talked as if they are not

human, but more as an object just how Chris felt when he was meeting others. It

highlights how racism is still in effect today in society. Horror films also show the

monstrosity the human can have and goes beyond a normal level of thinking.

Next, Horror films can go beyond what people never think of. In the film ​Get

out ​Chris is strapped in a chair and sees a tv. In the tv the other person is one the other

side explains what is going to happen to chris. He says they will switch bodies and that

he will continue living as chris. This shows that this evil act goes into “forbidden

aspects of human psychology.” (Kawin,2012,p.2). It demonstrates to the audiences the

twisted ways a mind can go through. It shows more of what an evil mind can go

through in this case. Rose’s father is so scared and worried about his family dying that

he created a way for them to live. Seeing this idea being put to the test, no one would

come up with it. Most of it has to deal with trauma to make them go crazy on the inside.

Most horror films have someone who is an analytical intelligence and creates horrid

ideas in their head. Horror films not only goes beyond human psychology, it can also

show you gory scenes that will make your stomach turn.
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Next, horror films violence scenes can be gory. Horror films always have the

antagonist hurting or killing someone. Most times the protagonist is fighting back.

Showing how brutal they can be with it comes to violence. In one scene Chris attacks

Rose’s brother using a pool ball. Making the audience stomach turn as they see him

squirming in pain while being repeatedly hit with the ball. He then goes and uses the

deer antlers to kill Rose’s dad. This shows how much anger Chris has built up and is

determined to leave alive. “It can go to the limits of violent” (Kawin,2012,p.2). This

represents how most horror films show ways how people are capable of when they are

put in situations that involve life or death. They show how the enemy dies in a

gruesome way Making the audience feel sick.Giving them an image they would never

think of doing to others. They also show abnormal human behavior in horror films.

Following, horror movies show a different side to human behavior. Chris sees

that his phone has been unplugged and when the housemaid confronts him, she starts

explaining what happened. Chris then states that everything is alright and he wont tell

anyone. In that moment the housemaid's face goes from a smile to a straight face. She

looks in pain and wants to speak. Soon starts crying but then catches herself and goes

back to her normal self again. This shows how human behavior can be strange in

horror movies. Horror movies have someone that shows “insane human behavior”

(Kawin,2012,p.2). Representing how character can indicate how they are not normal

through small detail by how they speak of with their facial expression.

In conclusion, ​Get out​ modernized horror genre. It shows how horror can be a

reality to some people in this world. It represents what others go through and how they

feel when they see people loving their culture and what they have, but hating the
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people that have it. This movie can withstand the test of time considering the message

it sends out.
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Dixon,W.W. & Dixon, R.W.W.P. (2010). ​A history of horror. ​ProQuest Ebook Central

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/scf-ebooks/reader.action?docID=832046&

query=horror+films

Kawin,B.F. (2012). ​Horror and the horror film. ​ProQuest Ebook Central

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/

Odell,C. Le,B.M. (2001). ​Horror films. ​ProQuest Ebook Central

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/

Mckittrick,S. Blum,J. Hamm,H.E. & Peele,J. (Producers). Peele,J. (Director).(2017).

Get out. ​ ​https://youtu.be/YfLSryEaAfw

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