Hi, I’m Michael. This is Lessons from the Screenplay. When we go to see a horror film, we usually
have some idea of what to expect. The common tropes and cliches have been so well-documented they’re even referenced in horror films themselves. “You should never say ‘who’s there?’” “Don’t you watch scary movies? It’s a death wish.” But the horror films that stick with us are often the ones that provide a unique twist on the characters’ perspective of the horror. Like a slasher film told through the eyes
of teenagers on the night of Halloween. Or a monster film following “truck drivers
in space,” where escape is nearly impossible and no one
can hear you scream. Or a found footage film, told through the
point of view of documentary filmmakers. And with each of these different perspectives
comes new ways of telling the story. Get Out follows in this tradition, providing
an unfamiliar perspective on the horror. But in this case, it’s not some exotic setting
or a filmmaking gimmick. It’s simply that the protagonist is black. Taking inspiration from the 1967 classic,
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”— in which a white woman takes her black fiancé
to meet her parents—Jordan Peele said: “...one of the reasons that film, I think
was so effective in its discussion with race is that it started
with a situation that was universal. Take the race out of it, everybody can relate to the fear of meeting
your potential in-laws for the first time. So, at some point I had a revelation that
that was also the way to get into this film.” Beginning with a situation that is universal ensures that an audience comes into a story with a certain amount of personal experience and empathy. But, it’s the specifics of the characters
put into a situation that make a story interesting. And what impresses me most about “Get Out” is how Jordan Peele uses the specifics of the protagonist to unlock new storytelling techniques. So today I want to look at the film’s unique
method of building tension… To see how it takes advantage of its premise
to set-up a surprising twist... And examine the way it creates a feeling of
isolation while subverting a horror trope. Let’s take a look at “Get Out.” Most horror films are built on tension. The characters are put into a situation where
they’re in harm’s way, and we know it’s only a matter of time before
the danger gets to them. But in “Get Out,” the dangerous situation
isn’t some alien planet or a spooky house... it’s a weekend in the country with rich
white people. CHRIS: “You said I’m the first black guy
you’d ever dated.” ROSE: “Yeah, so what?” CHRIS: “Yeah, so this is uncharted territory
for them.” CHRIS: “I don’t want to get chased off
the lawn with a shotgun.” There have been plenty of films where a suburban
neighborhood is the victim of horror, but rarely is it ever the source. So as Chris and Rose arrive at her parents
place, the audience is already unsure of what to
expect. Our biggest worry is that Chris might actually
get chased off the lawn with a shotgun. But we quickly see that won’t be the case— “You call me Dean and you hug me, my man!” —as rather than make Rose’s parents obviously
disapproving of Chris, Jordan Peele decides to build tension in a
more subtle way. “By the way, I would have voted for Obama
for a third term if I could.” “Best president in my lifetime, hands down.” While they’re clearly trying to be welcoming, the parents do have moments that are a bit—as
Jordan Peele says—“racially clumsy.” “So how long has been going on?” “This thang.” Nothing major and with no clear malice intended,
but enough to provide some basic tension. “Cause with your frame and your genetic
makeup, if you really pushed your body, you’d be
a beast.” However, as we see more moments of the family
and their friends reacting to Chris’s blackness— “Oh.” Woman: “Not bad!” —tension continues to build. “Jeremy.” In this way, real-life racial tensions are
used to help build the suspense, making the unease we feel more layered and
complex. “There he is!” But in many ways, the more overtly disturbing
characters are the few black people Chris does encounter. When he reaches out to try to make a connection
with them, the interactions are off-putting. “She is lovely isn’t she?” “Rose?” “Yeah, she is.” “One of a kind; top of the line. A real doggone keeper.” “Right.” Some are particularly unsettling. “Oh, no, no, no, no no no no no no.” “Aren’t you something?” This method of building tension is effective
partially because we’ve never seen it used in a horror film
this way. “Get out.” And it’s unlocked simply because of the
specifics of the protagonist and his situation. But this is not the only technique made available
because of the specifics of the protagonist. Throughout the script, Jordan Peele utilizes
a unique way of establishing trust. Chris’s fear going into the weekend is that Rose’s parents will react negatively to their relationship, operating from a place of ignorance. But once he gets there, he instead sees there are moments where they’re
actually aware of the potential concerns he may have. “Come on, I get it.” “White family; black servants. It’s a total cliche.” “I wasn’t going to take it there.” “Well, you didn’t have to, believe me.” This awareness assuages some of Chris’s
fears, and makes us feel like maybe we can trust
them. The same technique is used during the party
scene. After interacting with a number of guests
who seem obsessed with Chris’s blackness— “I do know Tiger.” —he encounters Jim, the art dealer— JIM: “Ignorance…” —who seems to actually be aware of people’s
behavior and the dynamics at play. “They mean well but they have no idea what
real people go through.” Once again, this makes us feel like we can
trust him. As Jordan Peele says… “He is an apparent ally to Chris.” “He understands that people focusing on
race and color…” “there’s an ignorance to them.” And when we see that this trust has been misplaced, it makes the reveal during auction scene that
much more compelling. But the best example of using awareness to
establish trust is with the Rose character. Originally, Jordan Peele was going to tell
the audience early on that she was involved in the family’s plot. But then, as he says: “And at some I realized, wait a second— If you could pull some Keyser Söze shit, why would you not pull some Keyser Söze shit? So at that point it’s like—okay! We’re going to take this up one notch, if I can do the impossible and I can hide
the fact that this woman who is literally bringing him into harm’s way—if
I can hide the fact that she’s in on it, then I’ll have a really great revelation.” When we meet Chris and Rose, it’s immediately
clear they’re in love. But the thing that really helps us trust—or
at least want to trust Rose— is how much she empathizes with Chris’s
experience. Throughout the film Rose is acutely aware
of how people, including her family, are treating Chris differently. The scene where this is conveyed most explicitly is after the awkward dinner their first night
at her parents’ place. “What is his problem?” “He has never treated any of my boyfriends
that way.” “Ever, ever, ever.” “Mmm hmm.” “Oh my god, and them my dad with the ‘my
man’ stuff.” “‘My man! My man!’” “I don’t think he’s ever heard that,
or said it, and now it’s just all he says.” Jordan Peele says of this scene: “I was sort of adding this idea of Rose’s
continued wokeness because... the fact that she’s more turnt-up about
this than he is... The audience I think subconsciously presumes
that if she was in on it, she wouldn’t be whilin out like this. Chris has to bring her back down to earth. So I think she wins our trust in this scene
as well as his. Once again, this is a storytelling mechanism
that is only unlocked because of the specificity of the protagonist
and the situation he’s in. But taking it a step further, because this
story is so unfamiliar— a black protagonist in a horror film who ends
up trapped by a white family set on stealing the bodies of African Americans— there are even meta-level elements at play
that aid in hiding Rose’s true intentions. “I knew in my heart that anybody who is
seeing a movie in a wide release in America would have to think: ‘there’s no way Universal Studios would allow the one good white person in this film
to also be evil. There’s no way they would do that!’” But they did. “You know I can’t give you the keys, right
babe?” And the result is a twisted reveal about the
true nature of Rose that underscores her psychopathic nature. “You were one of my favorites.” In this final act of the film, when it seems
like all hope is lost, we might find ourselves wishing there was
someone—anyone— to come save our protagonist. But here Jordan Peele subverts a horror trope
by reversing our desire for help to arrive. A cabin in the woods, outer space, a secluded
house in the country— all great ways to make sure your characters
can’t run away easily. “The nearest house is across the lake.” “It’s total privacy.” But part of what makes a character feel isolated is knowing that there is no one around to
save them. Such is the case for Chris, as there is no
one nearby he can call for help... not even the last hope of most characters
in horror films. “I am two seconds away from calling the
police!” During the sequence toward the beginning of
the film, when Chris and Rose are driving to her parents
place, they hit a deer— They call the police, who respond to the situation. But the focus soon changes from the deer to
Chris. Officer: “Sir, can I see your license please?” Rose: “Wait, why?” “Yeah, I have state I.D.” “No, no, no. He wasn’t driving.” “I didn’t ask who was driving, I asked
to see his I.D.” We see that the mere presence of Chris in
this area makes this officer suspicious. This suggests that if local law enforcement
get involved at any point in the story, it’s probably not going to go Chris’s way. So as the story progresses and Chris’s situation
gets worse, instead of wanting the police to come help— “I’m calling the police!” (phone rings)
“Ahh!” —there are moments when we realize their
arrival would be the last thing we want to happen. So of course it does, at the worst possible
moment. As Chris, covered in blood, kneels over a
dying Rose... “Siren lights flash on the side of their
heads.” “The scene doesn’t look good.” “Chris turns towards them raising his hands.” “Rose smiles again and pleads with the approaching
officers.” Rose: “Help me!” Without a word being spoken, we know the implications
of this situation. Which is what makes the reveal of Rod so cathartic. “Chris!” Once again, the specificity of the protagonist
and his situation are taken advantage of, as the film subverts a horror trope and provides
yet another fun surprise. “I mean, I told you not to go into that
house.” Good films are able to find fresh ways of
telling their stories; surprising us, while simultaneously giving
us exactly what we want. And as old storytelling techniques become
familiar and uninspiring, the stories we tell and the ways we tell them
have to evolve. Over the last few years, it’s become clear that audiences are eager
for new perspectives. Get Out brings a new perspective to a classic
genre. It demonstrates the value in mining the unique
elements of a narrative for new ways of telling a story. And reveals that the struggles of a specific
protagonist can resonate universally, as we can all empathize with a situation where
you simply need to get out. When researching and writing these videos, I try to find ways to be efficient with my
time, so if I find myself stuck in LA traffic, I love being able to listen to Audible. Audiobooks are a great way to turn idle time into a productive time where you can learn
something new. And what I love about Audible is that they
have a great selection of books on writing. For example, they have “Story” by Robert
McKee, which is definitely a book I recommend you
check out if you’re interested in screenwriting. It talks about a lot of great fundamentals, and I’ve used it in several of my
videos. And when you start a 30-day trial with Audible, your first audiobook is free. So if you go to Audible.com/lfts, or text “lfts” to 500-500, you can download the audiobook for “Story”
today, and it is yours to keep! Once again that’s Audible.com/lfts, or text
“lfts” to 500-500. Thanks to Audible for sponsoring this video. Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the video! I just redid my Patreon page with a new video for
you to check out. So head over to my Patreon page to watch that, and if you feel like supporting the channel
that would be greatly appreciated! I also want a take a moment to thank Jeff
Goldsmith for letting me use audio from his podcast, The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith. He’s done a ton of great interviews with
screenwriters, and he has a digital magazine called backstory, which you can check out at backstory.net. Both of them are great resources for screenwriters, and you should definitely check them out. Thank you for watching, and I will see you next time.
I loved Get Out, and it's great to see so many videos about how well made it is. I remember earlier last year when I would talk amongst friends how I thought Get Out would get a Best Picture nomination, oh how they laughed.
I really enjoyed Get Out but subsequently became more and more impressed by it, especially after listening to Jordan Peele talk about it the process of making it.
He really had to walk several tight ropes, not just about the subject matter (i.e. dealing with race without alienating anyone) and also genre (incorporating comedy, horror, suspense). It works so well that you don't really think about it when you watch it.
Amazing film. Jordan Peele obviously has Hollywood in the palm of his hands now, hopefully he can make some more films just as striking.
My creative writing students will absolutely love this. Thank you so much!!