Get Out - A New Perspective in Horror 

Get Out is one of my favorite horror films of recent memory because of how it subverts the genre, but the original Alien is still my all-time favorite! What are some of your favorite scary movies?

The creepiest part of the film for me was when Chris went up the stairs to check his phone during the rich people's party and once he reached the first floor, everyone became awfully quiet and turned around to the stairs. It was so unexpected and eerie, just remembering it gives me goosebumps.

Also something not mentioned is after rewatching it you can find small hints of rose being shady. Like her true intention of not wanting Chris to give his ID to the cop so there is no trail of him leaving.

The ending with the police lights lighting up their faces is one of the best gut-punches I've seen in a horror film. My stomach tied in a knot as soon as I saw the lights on my first viewing because you IMMEDIATELY understand why Chris is in such a compromised position. Great commentary on our current political climate.

Horror is an incredibly interesting genre in my opinion. It takes one of our most instinctual feelings- fear - and invokes it through different tools. Some of these are more obvious, others can be quite subtle. For example, (as demonstrated in your video) we're afraid of the threat of violence, especially when we're isolated. But horror can take on many different forms and utilize things like social/political climate to create tension as well.

I never understood why this film felt so different to other horror films, I believed it was because of the actors, but this video gives me a new perspective.

I think it's worth mentioning that Rod is a perfect example of how to use comic relief. He added humor, but he also contributed to the overall plot. That kind of writing is difficult to find.

"Racially Clumsy". That's a really useful phrase. I've not had a good term to describe that before.

The part where they hit the deer and have that encounter with the cop makes so much sense now and is absolutely brilliant

The only movie that had me screaming the title in my head the whole time hahah

Also love that at the third act when we would hoped that someone would come save him, we were surprised by a non-cliche where he saves himself not by chance or plot armor, but by his wit and own strength. Its feels so great when we see him overcome his predicament

Great analysis as always, and I really appreciate how your tone is always exploratory and never condescending to the viewer.

When Chris raised his hands when the police car came was so heartbreaking. I literally cried at that part.

The Cop scene is absolutely incredible in how there are multiple angles you can approach it from and still be amazed. Examples: *On your first viewing you immediately believe the cop's actions to be racially charged and Rose is simply sticking up for Chris in a situation he's all too familiar with. *RoRo doesn't want to leave a paper trail. She doesn't want any records of Chris coming near this cabin. Even when Rod is piecing stuff together, she makes it seem like Chris is still no where near the cabin. * The cop is asking for ID due to be racially prejudiced OR he's away of missing people of color in that area and wants record of Chris only for Roro to call the officer out as racist, making him leave. No matter which way you lool at it depending on what viewing, that scene alone is so amazingly crafted.

My god the beginning was SO AWKWARD and uncomfortable. Also, about Rose, I felt like it was pretty obvious that something was up with her. Every time she talked about his race it felt like she was trying to hard to pander to him, just like her parents. I think being embarrassed and bashful rather than wound up and rambling on and on would have been a more believable reaction. Right from the start it felt like she was overacting to me.

I appreciate the amount of care you put into researching your content. Very well made.

Movie certainly gets too much backlash. It remains as my #1 movie of 2017 both on a narrative and directorial level and in its seamless combination of dark comedy, social commentary and horror

I started crying when watching the ending of the movie. I couldn't believe that all that he had done to survive could be turned around so quickly. It was so incredibly frustrating and I I was extremely relieved after the reveal.

I find the deer being hit by rose interesting. As deers symbolize innocence, having rose being the one driving (in control) hit it sort of hints at her true intentions, especially seeing how chris was the one checking on the deer while rose stayed away, because chris was in a way, the deer. Which makes his killing of the father using a male deer's head even more satisfying

When Redbone came on

the moment i fell in love with the writing of this movie was a part of the 'before the tv' scene. blind guy asks if chris has any questions, and on one hand i get why he's silent but on the other i'm really wondering, you know, why?? what's the motivation here?? (note: by this point blind guy has explained that the family inhabit black people's bodies but i'm dumb and didn't get that, still wondering why tf they'd need to abduct and hypnotise their servants) of course, like two seconds after i think that, chris asks the million-dollar question; why black people. and the blind guy's response, that there's no reason in particular, and he personally couldn't care less about skin colour because all he's after is eyes, hit me like a ton of bricks because i was like of course!! it's not that they personally hate black people so much that they want to hurt them!! they just need /bodies/ and it just so happens that they're racists who have less of a problem with using black people's bodies than white people's. just like throughout history, unethical medical experiments were performed on black people - not because the doctors that did it wanted to hurt black people so goddamn much, they just needed bodies and happened to see black people as a more acceptable sacrifice than white people.

Loved this! Get Out really is a game changer and intrigues me though horror is not a genre i willingly enter without comedy(like Shaun of the Dead) so i absolutely want to watch it, thank you for highlighting the incredible things of this film. Very interesting to see how the typed dialogue changes into what the actors actually say.

The director not only took racism and managed to create a compelling story, but I he also made it relateable to those of us who are not black. Truly amazing. It's so cool he took a hot topic issue and managed to craft an original story out of it. It's one of those movies I walk away from feeling like a learned a valuable lesson while at the same time feeling like I wasn't just preached to for 2 hours. I don't know. What do you all think?

michael, I SCREAMED IN EXCITEMENT WHEN I SAW THIS

I love it. This is what I like to apply to my scripts the element of surprise. Some people say “Well, you need at least one hint that (insert random name here) is actually the bad guy” But why? That ruins the surprise. Someone is bound to pick up on it. I like there to be absolutely no signs that they’re working against the protagonist.

Genius screenplay by Jordan Peele! What a movie!

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I really hope this wins Best Original Screenplay

I can’t believe I stumbled upon this video!! A week ago I tried to explain to my 8 year old brother (I’m 23) what this movie is about while hiding many of details that a kid shouldn’t know. I discussed it based on the reasons why I liked the film, and your video is a perfect elaboration to our conversation. How do you try to tell a kid that you didn’t love a horror film because it makes you scared, but because of HOW it was produced? A good lesson for him since he had never thought of films or art in that way before. Loved the video! Awesome work

I literally screamed in the office when I saw the notification!!! My favorite channel + one of my new favorite movies!!

Genius film. Love the the little bit about how Rose's reveal wasn't set in stone, the creative process never ends & sometimes there's a bit of luck (in this case, that they weren't so far along that they couldn't adapt).

I watched get out a couple of days ago, for the first time. Even though i knew how the movie would end, coz i've watched some youtube videos talking 'bout this film, hailing as one of the best movies of 2017, basically they've manage to spoil some details. Yet watching the film's twist it seems pretty fresh to me, it's a very remarkable take in the horror genre and it opens a lot of possibilities for future horror films to take risk and kick in a new kind of thrill.

We really are living through a Horror renascence on par with the success of comic book films in the past few years. In contrast to the mega budgeted Comic book films, what makes these new horror films so interesting is that since the budgets are so restrained (Get Out only cost 5 million) they can creatively take the films where ever they want as they aren't as worried about making back their budgets. This is what has made Blumhouse so successful as they fund dozens of movies a year with only a handful making it to theatres (rest are straight to streaming). They only need one decent sized hit to make a profit for the year, and with the breakout success of Get Out and Split (as well as the impressive run of Happy Death Day) they are turning into one of the most influential and successful studios in the industry. Ultimately it's this trusting in directors and letting them express their unique vision that gives them their distinct advantage, and while the vast majority of their films are not all that good, the structures in place in how they finance and produce their movies make films like Get Out and Whiplash possible. I hope what the Horror genre is done can find its way into other struggling genres (especially comedies), reduced budgets and less emphasis on over the top spectacle to create auteur driven films with distinct voices that work within budgetary confines to find new ways to express ideas.

Another thing that makes this movie so great is how naturally it blends comedy with horror. The scene where LaKeith Stanfield is brought back to the hypnotic state after his meltdown and starts talking like a wealthy old white man(cause he is one) is hilarious and horrifying.

I may or not be learning screenwriting because of you....

man, i've been following you for a while and I gotta say I love your videos. I love how they're different from each other and you help us saying "WOW wait, this is actually something amazing", something we feel when we're watching a movie but we never give a thought about it. Keep up, we want more :D , best wishes from Argentina

Sharing this with my professor in college!!! We just read Frankenstein and talked about the self vs other ideas!! Get out was the movie we paired with it! So happy you made this!!

I just saw the movie a few days back, and I didn't have a good impression about the plot. Now, and thanks to your video, I have a new appreciation of this movie. I think that the Rose twist is intriguing, and I expected to see that she wasn't bad at all, just controlled by her mom. Now I see why the empathy is so important through the story. Is it dare or rude if I can ask you for an analysis of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri?

Glad to see a new video from you

Awesome stuff man. Maybe a Blade Runner 2049 video to follow up on the Blade Runner one you already did an amazing job on?

The real kicker of the appearance of Rob at the end is our worries were originally going to come true. Peele has said the original ending was the cops did show up and gunned Chris down but he eventually felt that ending would simply be too bleak. Which I'm thankful for. I'm fine with bleak endings sometimes such as the end of The Mist but it was much nicer to see Chris finally catch at least one real break.

Great video as always. It's always nice to see when a movie can make more of itself by playing off of the expectations an audience has going into it.

This made me think a lot of a comment from Beyond the Screenplay. I can't remember if it was Brian or Alex who said it but the gist was, "You're watching a juggler, and at the last minute he catches the ball with his chin, not his hands. And that's screenwriting - giving your audience exactly what they want in an unexpected way." I reckon this is as close to a perfect screenplay as a writer can get. Your original comments edited in with Jordan Peele's commentary made for a wonderful video, thanks for sharing!

This movie is amazing at building then releasing tension. When Rose was “looking for the keys”

0:59 i'm glad you used Redbone there. It's my favourite song of all time

The only horror movie i've seen that has actually moved me in some way, made me root for the main character.

The story has very similar elements to Philip K Dicks writing. I highly recommend the recent show Electric Dreams based on his short stories for the best example of this. It's my favourite type of story where the world around the main character goes a skew and you're constantly having to question their reality.

Whenever I think about this film my mind still feels blown by it. So good.

Winner of original screenplay this sunday, to be sure.

Watched this movie two years ago and think it’s great. Still figuring out new things. The cop at the beginning, wow and to think he could’ve intervened and said. “There have been several missing persons cases around here, particularly that of African American males.” That would’ve given him a completely separate tangent of thought to hold onto while weird things were happening further into the movie, leading him to actually believe they’re trying to capture him. Wow

Do a Charlie Kaufman screenplay He is The Man

Brilliant. Well put and informative.I have watched a lot of thriller and horror in past years, but there has never been anything as surprising as the 'keys scene'. I did not see it coming. As you said, it builds trust with the audience and betrays them without remorse. It's awesome. Also, the movie will be a fresh experience even on the second viewing because of the little nuances in the dialogs, like when Rose's father shows Chris the kitchen and says, "My mother loved her kitchen, so we keep a piece of her in here," just when Georgiana is standing in it.

Thanks for making such great videos! I can't get enough of them!

This breakdown will definitely help out our homemade short horror films. We can't afford fancy equipment or people to help us out, so story is pretty much everything. Much thanks

I absolutely loved Get Out. Because the parents assuage the Chris' fears about them being racist, we fight the urge to call them out on it (until we have solid proof.) However, our first instinct turns out to actually be true.

thank you for this!! i knew i was thrilled watching this film but didn't know why/how it was so well done! thank you for being there for dummies like myself its so neat to be able to understand how wonderfully crafted a piece of art is and how its pulled off

New Lessons from the Screenplay? Looks like Im dropping what I'm doing and learning to create better Video Essays from best.

I watched a video link Get out to the Stepford wives before and it’s interesting how each screen essay link different movies to Get out and get different perspectives.

SPOILERS! I had a feeling that Rose had to be in on it, because how could she miss that much stuff going on. Either that, or I thought maybe she was being hypnotized to forget by her mom each time she brought a new man. I also love how well the twist works. I usually get frustrated when its revealed somebody was bad all along, because it completely changes the character. But instead it does a great job of embodying what kind of person could pull that off. I completely sociopathic and emotionally empty individual. She is so good at playing different personalities because she has none of her own.

I saw right through this movie. Not the specifics but characters motives. The end reveal if his friend was great. I jumped up in joy. It was great.

going into this movie without knowing anything (didn’t even watch the trailer) made the experience better for me. hard to explain but yeah, great film

Shining is the best one out there guys. The film has an abyss like quality to it which I find lacking in most horror films

Man, I was expecting you to point out during that scene with the cops, that not only does that serve as a suggestion that police will not be helpful to the protagonist, it also further reinforces Rose's involvement. It would go against their plans if the police knew that he was in the area. (Well unless they are on the payroll of the family) Thank you for another amazing video.

You are my favourite channel that analyses story and cinema. Keep up the good work.

This channel is so good. A lot of video essay channels simply spout opinion or fluff for 11 minutes, but I legitimately leave your videos knowing something new. Keep it up!

Apocalypse Now - Changing Destiny Hi, I’m Michael and this is Lessons from the Screenplay. (Explosion, turn black) In 1902, Joseph Conrad published his book, heart of darkness: A dark psychological story, about the Congo genocide. The book nearly got an adaptation in 1939, by Orson Welles, but it wasn’t until 40 years later Francis Ford Coppola adapted it’s material. By that time, Conrad was long time gone, and the horrors of Congo, was to a large degree, forgotten. (Joseph Conrad 1857-1924) In order to make the audience feel more connected, Coppola decided to move the plot from the middle of Africa, right into the centre, of the Vietnam war. (Music start playing) Today I want to focus on this change from an adaption point of view. To show the similarities of how different events can be build up, from the emotion it wants to give the audience. And from a more structural perspective, look into what cues the movie takes from the book, but also the changes that was made, to make this adaption process possible. Let’s take a look, at Apocalypse Now (Spoilers ahead)... Me comparing the leader of Congo to the Na€i leader (Subtitles are needed): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uK2k8AsKNmc.html

Out of every horror film I’ve ever seen, and that’s *A LOT* this was and is the one and only horror film I have *EVER* been absolutely and totally paralyzed watching it

Yes! Horror is probably my favorite genre IF it's done right. I can really recommend Green Room, maybe not everybody would call it Horror, but it has some interesting ways of exploring decision-making and consequences. Cheers Michel, you've done it again ;)

I just saw Get Out, and I enjoyed my viewing experience. I waited for 7 months to watch this video, and now I am FINALLY removing this from my "Watch Later" playlist. Great video, Michael! Get Out is a great example of a horror film that is unique and relies on terror to be scary. While I wasn't terrified, it was creepy, like the Shining. Overall, I loved the movie on my first viewing, and now I love it more after seeing your video and how you analyzed the uniqueness of this horror film. Thank you so much for this video!

Get Out is one of the few horror movies that I want to watch, because the plot is not full of over used creepy jump scares, the terror lies way underneath, as we fear something that can happen very commonly in our everyday life.

Am I the only one who didn't understand this was an auction scene on the first watch and just thought it was some weird bingo game in some parallel dream world?

You inspire me. I want so much to produce relevant content in my homecountry and you clear my vision of how to do that. Thanks.

This was amazing. I look forward to your other videos 🥃

Great episode. I watched and loved the film, but definitely didn't notice how Peele played with my emotions. Glad he didn't use the original ending where Chris DOES go to jail. Couldn't stand for the character to go through that.

I hadn't seen "Get Out" but after this examination of it, it deserves all the praise it's received. Its use of subversion is goddamn brilliant!

I love how really early on, Peele has the scene of Chris getting ready with Rose going to the bakery and looking at pastries in a case.

Great video as per usual Michael! Do you think Get Out has a chance to win an Academy Award this sunday?

I was about to loose it when the police came in the end. Great twist

Awesome! I just saw this movie 48 hours ago.

Get Out is a fine wine,it gets better every year

this movie surprises us while giving us exactly what we want

Thank you for adding Alien into the list. Most people often not know that Alien was actually a space horror/thriller.

this is such an absurdly genius film

Awesome video bro whenever I see notifications on my phone I always think of LFSP 👌👌👌

Another fantastic video as always, Michael! Got nothing much to add except you're almost at 1 million subs! Hope you get there soon! I gotta ask, from your own opinion, what do you think of the alternate ending? I was talking with some filmmaker friends, and they said the alternate ending would've made the film a 10/10 and a major awards contender to beat (giving a Coen Brothers-esque ending), but I argue that although I love the alternate ending, that reveal with Rod and the TSA car is just one of the most satisfying things I've seen on film last year, and I don't think I would've changed a thing.

Loved the movie, and as usual loved your analysis.

I never understood this movie in the context of "Horror"... I always saw this as more of a 'Psychological Thriller'. Wasn't really...scary...

Brilliantly done. I think this is now the... third time I've seen it and it never fails to inspire me. You have such a deep understanding on all the different topics regarding movie making and story telling and I can't tell you enough how grateful I am for everything you do on this channel.

What a great breakdown of what made this film both memorable and well-constructed. I think it's one of those films that should be taught in film and screenwriting classes for just this reason and I think your video is an excellent, educational primer.

Great video!! I hope Get Out AT LEAST wins Best Director!

I also love how in that scene where they hit the deer, protagonists girlfriend protests that he doesn't need to show the cop his license. And the viewer is all like yeah she's totally cool cos she's against all this racist cop BS. but then after the reveal turns out she was merely doing that so that the cop didnt see his ID. So that when the protagonist gets reported missing the cop wouldn't have his name and not follow up on it.

Great video

I love Get Out for being a modern psychological horror that’s actually scary, but I love this channel for being a lesson in screenwriting that sheds so much light on great films.

You know what “Get Out” reminds me? An Episode of Twilight Zone.

Nothing to do with perspective but i like the actress for rose. She was able to put genuine emotion in her voice while having a plane straight face during her phone call with Rod.

Pretty much everything you said that Get Out did first and new (isolated house, going to visit family members, surburban area the source) those things were done in The Visit before Get Out back in 2015 where two kids go meet their grandparents for a weekend on an isolated farm and I found it to be much better than Get Out.

Yesssss I’ve been waiting for this.

These videos are so well put together, and are compellingly deconstructive.

Pleeeeeaaaasssee do one flew over the cuckoos nest! My favourite movie ever

i NEVER watch horror movies but i've been meaning to find out more about get out and i got halfway through this video before deciding that i had to see it no matter what