By Julia Schmidt
Movies in the 21st century reflect the world we live in, including the ongoing struggles with racism. While some films still show harmful stereotypes, many have worked to bring attention to the ways racism affects people’s lives today. Films like Black Panther and the Green Book challenge viewers to think about the unfair treatment of people based on their race and encourage conversations about how society can do better. Another example is Jordan Peele’s powerful 2018 horror film Get Out. It tells the story of Chris, a Black man, who goes with his white girlfriend, Rose, to visit her family. What seems like a normal visit quickly turns into a nightmare, as Chris uncovers the shocking truth about Rose’s family and their intentions. Peele uses horror not just to entertain, but to shine a light on important issues like race, privilege, and the fear that comes with being black in America. Get Out mixes scares with social messages, helping audiences think more deeply about identity and inequality.
Get Out does more than just scare its audience—it forces them to reckon with how deeply racism is embedded in American society. While the film innovates within the horror genre, it is also, as scholar Dawn Keetley writes, firmly rooted in “the longstanding tradition of the political horror film… driven by very human monsters.” In this way, Peele isn’t inventing something entirely new—he’s drawing from a tradition of films like Night of the Living Dead directed by George A. Romero and Candyman directed by Bernard Rose that use horror to confront social and political issues. What sets Get Out apart is how it uses this tradition to reflect the specific racial anxieties of the early 21st century.
In Get Out, Chris visits the family of his girlfriend Rose but soon realizes that something is not right. Rose’s family and their friends are part of a secret group that wants to take control of Black people’s bodies. The horror here is not about monsters or ghosts, but about real, everyday racism and how people, even those who claim to be open-minded, still treat Black people as objects or things to control. The film shows how scary it can be to be in a place where you don’t feel welcome. For Chris, this feeling is made worse by how the people around him pretend to be friendly, yet are subtly treating him as less than human. Through family dinners and garden parties with the neighbors, he begins to realize that something weird is going on, sensing that their smiles hide something sinister beneath the surface. The film thus asks viewers (especially white viewers) to think about how Black people often have to navigate spaces where they are the only ones of their race, and how that can be dangerous.
In Get Out, Peele explores the theme of “liberal” racism, which is a more subtle form of racism. The characters in the movie, especially Rose’s family, act like they aren’t racist, but their words and actions show that they still have prejudiced views. For example, Rose’s family says, “I would have voted for Obama a third time” and talks about how much they admire Black culture. While these comments might sound supportive, they show a deeper problem. Instead of seeing Black people as equals, they treat them like they’re different or special, as if their Blackness is something to be admired, rather than accepted as another part of who they are. A big part of liberal racism in the movie is how these characters focus on stereotypes about Black people, as when the family makes comments about Chris’s athleticism. While this might seem like a compliment, it reduces Black people to stereotypes. This shows that even though these characters think of themselves as non-racist, they still treat Black people as “other” or different from themselves.
The film also introduces the “Sunken Place” which is a powerful symbol of how many Black people feel in society. In the movie, Chris is trapped in this place where he can see everything happening around him, but he can’t move or speak. The Sunken Place shows how Black people can often feel when they experience racism—they know what’s happening, but they feel powerless to stop it. Even though they might understand the discrimination they face, the systems around them make it hard to take action or speak out. The Sunken Place is a way to show how, even though you might be aware of the problem, you can still feel trapped and unable to change anything.
Many symbols in the film add to the story like when hypnosis is used in a way that shows how people try to control Chris’s mind and body. This is not just a scary moment in the film, but also a reminder of how people in power have historically tried to control Black people. The color red is also used throughout the film, showing danger and destruction and the moments when Chris starts to fight back. In the opening scene, a man is kidnapped in a suburb while walking alone at night, while the kidnapper wears a red helmet. This immediately connects red with violence and abduction, setting the tone for the sinister undercurrents in the story. In the final act, when Chris picks cotton from the chair and uses it to block the hypnosis, we briefly see the red interior of his bag. This could suggest a turning point—a moment of taking control, self-defense, and reclaiming agency.
Get Out came out at a time when conversations about race were becoming more open and widespread, especially with the Black Lives Matter movement drawing national attention to racism and police brutality. The film built on these conversations by highlighting how racism isn’t always violent—it can be subtle, insidious, and masked by so-called ‘liberal’ attitudes. For example, a powerful moment in Get Out is the auction scene disguised as a garden party. Chris, unaware of what’s really happening, is paraded around by wealthy white guests who comment on his physique, his genetic makeup, and even his potential as a romantic partner. This mirrors how Black people have historically been objectified —from slavery to modern-day sports and entertainment industries. The fact that the partygoers speak about Chris as if he isn’t even there speaks to a dehumanization that persists in subtle forms today. The scene critiques a kind of racism that isn’t about hatred, but entitlement—the belief that white people can possess or control Black people in socially acceptable ways. This connects with Black Lives Matter’s emphasis on not just confronting explicit acts of violence, but also dismantling the deeper systems and mindsets that devalue Black life.
While most people see horror as a genre for fun or scares, Get Out shows how the genre can tell powerful stories about real-world issues. Like the political horror films that preceded it, Peele’s film reminds us that horror can do more than just entertain—it can also open people’s eyes to uncomfortable truths about society. It opens the door for other filmmakers to explore important topics, using horror to reach people in new ways.
Get Out is much more than just a horror film. It is a powerful commentary on race, identity, and the way racism works in our society. By using the genre of horror, Peele is able to take a deep, sometimes painful subject and make it accessible to a wide audience. Get Out encourages viewers to think about the subtle and not-so-subtle ways racism affects people every day, and how these issues still need to be addressed. The film has left a lasting impact and continues to be an important conversation starter about race and privilege in America.
Works Cited
Get out. Directed by Jordan Peele, Blumhouse Productions, 2017.
Friedman, Lori. “The Monster Is Us: Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” Exposes Society’s Horrors.” Lehigh University News, 10 July 2020, news.lehigh.edu/the-monster-is-us-jordan-peeles-get-out-exposes-societys-horrors.
Julia Schmidt currently attends SUNY Cortland as an Early Childhood Education major. Originally from Long Island, NY, Julia is passionate about working with children and currently is gaining hands-on experiences in multiple schools.