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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Internment in Books
Jul 25, 2019
This book should be required reading in schools. Especially now. It could be paired with Anne Frank. One history, one a possible future. Probable, even. Depending on how you look at it, an actual present. We DO have concentration camps on the border. (Which makes me shudder to write, what in the absolute FUCK.)
*breathes deeply*
Internment is a gut-punch of a book. I had to set it down two pages in and get control of myself, and again around page eleven. I took breaks throughout reading it to do HOUSEWORK, of all things, because I needed the mental and emotional reprieve. And I'm a white woman. I have the privilege of being pretty sure I will never be the target of these kinds of atrocities. Which means I have the responsibility to work against them. I'm also a physically weak, chronic-illness-having, unemployed white woman, (which does have the benefit of letting me keep on eye on my middle-eastern neighbors' houses to watch for ICE showing up - I fully intend to go make myself a damned nuisance if they do) so I can't go storm the camps or march for hours at protests. What I can do is boost books like this.
If you're white, GO READ THIS BOOK. Suck it up and read it. I don't have the same recommendation for my friends of color because they already live with this kind of fear and racism. They don't need it illustrated to them. WE DO.
This book needs content warnings for violence, threats of rape, anxiety-inducing situations, racism, violent death - Samira Ahmed does NOT pull punches. Direct resistance is costly. It takes courage and sacrifice, and she does not shy away from showing that. It would be sugar-coating if she did.
Internment focuses on the idea of America forcing citizens into camps - but we are already forcing non-citizens into camps. The Red Cross visits the camp, not unlike our politicians visiting the immigrant concentration camps on our border now. They have a garden they can work on in the camp - not unlike a pair of photos I saw on Twitter. (see blog for photos.)
Internment is stunning, heartbreaking, and inspiring, and if you're emotionally capable of it, YOU SHOULD READ IT. This is happening, right now, on our southern border. It is infuriating that our politicians have not put a stop to it yet. My own Congressman (I just moved into this area, I haven't had a chance to vote on him yet) just visited the camps, and his Twitter thread on them is SO CAREFUL to use absolutely neutral language when talking about them, and it pisses me off. This is NOT a neutral subject.
Internment did have a few downsides - the Director never gets a name (though the book is told from Layla's viewpoint, and it would not surprise me if he never bothered to GIVE his name to the internees) and he's almost cartoonishly evil. I would have liked to know more about the guard that helped Layla on occasion, but again, told as it was from her viewpoint, it can be excused by saying she simply didn't know more about him. But this IS a Young Adult novel told from a seventeen-year-old's viewpoint. We're only going to get what she knows and feels. So these downsides don't detract from the book for me.
To sum up - I recommend Internment at the highest level. You absolutely must read this book.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
*breathes deeply*
Internment is a gut-punch of a book. I had to set it down two pages in and get control of myself, and again around page eleven. I took breaks throughout reading it to do HOUSEWORK, of all things, because I needed the mental and emotional reprieve. And I'm a white woman. I have the privilege of being pretty sure I will never be the target of these kinds of atrocities. Which means I have the responsibility to work against them. I'm also a physically weak, chronic-illness-having, unemployed white woman, (which does have the benefit of letting me keep on eye on my middle-eastern neighbors' houses to watch for ICE showing up - I fully intend to go make myself a damned nuisance if they do) so I can't go storm the camps or march for hours at protests. What I can do is boost books like this.
If you're white, GO READ THIS BOOK. Suck it up and read it. I don't have the same recommendation for my friends of color because they already live with this kind of fear and racism. They don't need it illustrated to them. WE DO.
This book needs content warnings for violence, threats of rape, anxiety-inducing situations, racism, violent death - Samira Ahmed does NOT pull punches. Direct resistance is costly. It takes courage and sacrifice, and she does not shy away from showing that. It would be sugar-coating if she did.
Internment focuses on the idea of America forcing citizens into camps - but we are already forcing non-citizens into camps. The Red Cross visits the camp, not unlike our politicians visiting the immigrant concentration camps on our border now. They have a garden they can work on in the camp - not unlike a pair of photos I saw on Twitter. (see blog for photos.)
Internment is stunning, heartbreaking, and inspiring, and if you're emotionally capable of it, YOU SHOULD READ IT. This is happening, right now, on our southern border. It is infuriating that our politicians have not put a stop to it yet. My own Congressman (I just moved into this area, I haven't had a chance to vote on him yet) just visited the camps, and his Twitter thread on them is SO CAREFUL to use absolutely neutral language when talking about them, and it pisses me off. This is NOT a neutral subject.
Internment did have a few downsides - the Director never gets a name (though the book is told from Layla's viewpoint, and it would not surprise me if he never bothered to GIVE his name to the internees) and he's almost cartoonishly evil. I would have liked to know more about the guard that helped Layla on occasion, but again, told as it was from her viewpoint, it can be excused by saying she simply didn't know more about him. But this IS a Young Adult novel told from a seventeen-year-old's viewpoint. We're only going to get what she knows and feels. So these downsides don't detract from the book for me.
To sum up - I recommend Internment at the highest level. You absolutely must read this book.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Saving Ruby King in Books
Jun 18, 2020
Ruby King is twenty-four-years-old when her mother, Alice, is found murdered in the home she shared with Ruby and Ruby's father, Lebanon. The police show little interest in--to them--another death in the King's black neighborhood, but Alice's death unhinges Ruby and leaves her alone with her violent, abusive father. Her only confidante is her best friend, Layla, who knows how long Alice and Ruby have suffered under Lebanon's wrath. But Layla is angry that Ruby won't do more to get away from Lebanon and she's even angrier at her father, a pastor, who has been close to Lebanon all these years, and yet never did anything to free Alice or Ruby from his abuse. Layla is determined to save Ruby, but as she works to rescue her friend, she starts to uncover a world of secrets and lies flowing back generations.
"I'm stitched together by the lies I tell myself and the lies people want to believe about me." ~Alice
I found this excellent and timely book to be incredibly well-written, with a power and tenderness to it that goes far behind your typical debut novel (I had to double check that this was actually West's first novel, I was so impressed).
West tells her story from a variety of points of view--Ruby; her late mother, Alice; her father, Lebanon; her best friend, Layla; Layla's father, a pastor; and more. We even hear from a central figure in all of these characters' lives--their church, via its omnipresent voice. The plot spans generations, with West giving a nuanced look at each of her complex characters. She does an amazing job of showing the power of family, for both good and bad. How choices can affect generations: one person's bad decisions can pass poison on, with children reliving dysfunction and sins.
"How can there be a me without her?" ~Ruby
No one is simply good or bad here, though Lebanon is not an easy-to-like man. Abused and neglected by his own parent, Sara, we see how Sara's neglect has turned Lebanon hard. But West is such a good writer that Lebanon is not a one-dimensional bad guy, as much as you want to hate him. I was incredibly impressed at how she could create sympathy for so many of her players, even when they did despicable things.
"Without Sara, who do I blame for...being me? Are children supposed to forgive their parents for the horrible things they've done?" ~Lebanon
This novel does an impressive job at delving into racism, domestic abuse, and sexual assault and trauma. The city of Chicago appears as its own character, springing to life via West's lovely prose. She expertly shows the difficulties black people face on the south side (and in general). I read this book during George Floyd's murder and found myself highlighting passages about police brutality that just hit me right in the gut. It's very powerful.
West's book features a variety of characters--they can be hard to keep track of at first, and I was glad to have the family tree in the beginning of the book. A few times the plot felt repetitious and the middle dragged a bit, but it picked up in the second half. There's a surprising amount of twists and turns. Overall, this is a realistic look at racism and domestic violence, but also friendship. It's quite well-written and layered with a twinge of hope throughout. I can't wait to see what West writes next. 4+ stars.
"I'm stitched together by the lies I tell myself and the lies people want to believe about me." ~Alice
I found this excellent and timely book to be incredibly well-written, with a power and tenderness to it that goes far behind your typical debut novel (I had to double check that this was actually West's first novel, I was so impressed).
West tells her story from a variety of points of view--Ruby; her late mother, Alice; her father, Lebanon; her best friend, Layla; Layla's father, a pastor; and more. We even hear from a central figure in all of these characters' lives--their church, via its omnipresent voice. The plot spans generations, with West giving a nuanced look at each of her complex characters. She does an amazing job of showing the power of family, for both good and bad. How choices can affect generations: one person's bad decisions can pass poison on, with children reliving dysfunction and sins.
"How can there be a me without her?" ~Ruby
No one is simply good or bad here, though Lebanon is not an easy-to-like man. Abused and neglected by his own parent, Sara, we see how Sara's neglect has turned Lebanon hard. But West is such a good writer that Lebanon is not a one-dimensional bad guy, as much as you want to hate him. I was incredibly impressed at how she could create sympathy for so many of her players, even when they did despicable things.
"Without Sara, who do I blame for...being me? Are children supposed to forgive their parents for the horrible things they've done?" ~Lebanon
This novel does an impressive job at delving into racism, domestic abuse, and sexual assault and trauma. The city of Chicago appears as its own character, springing to life via West's lovely prose. She expertly shows the difficulties black people face on the south side (and in general). I read this book during George Floyd's murder and found myself highlighting passages about police brutality that just hit me right in the gut. It's very powerful.
West's book features a variety of characters--they can be hard to keep track of at first, and I was glad to have the family tree in the beginning of the book. A few times the plot felt repetitious and the middle dragged a bit, but it picked up in the second half. There's a surprising amount of twists and turns. Overall, this is a realistic look at racism and domestic violence, but also friendship. It's quite well-written and layered with a twinge of hope throughout. I can't wait to see what West writes next. 4+ stars.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Sausage Party (2016) in Movies
Jul 20, 2017
Funny voiceovers (1 more)
Classic Seth Rogen humour
Wasted potential (1 more)
The animators were treated poorly
Comfort Food
Based on the trailer I had high expectations going in, but really this movie is exactly what you expect it to be. The humour ticks all of the boxes that you would expect it to, casual racism, crass sex jokes, low brow sexism and drug induced illusions, the only difference that these feature in this movie to all of Seth Rogen’s other movies is that they are animated in this instance. If you switch off your brain and all you are looking for is a silly comedy then there is a good time to be had here and I did enjoy my time with this movie, but I can’t help but feel that there was also a lot of wasted potential here. I expected to have sore sides from laughing during this film and I only laughed out loud twice in the cinema and to be honest any less than three belly laughs during a Seth Rogen movie is underwhelming for me. Maybe I am being harsh, plus I was quite ill when I saw the movie so maybe if I went back and watched it again while feeling better I would have a better time. Like I said up top, if all you need is a quick fix of immature, shameless humour then you will enjoy this movie for what it is, but there could have been more done with this project and I’m a little bit let down that it couldn’t live up to its full potential.
Louise (64 KP) rated Bitch Planet: Extraordinary Machine: Volume 1 in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I received this copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This a bind up of the first 5 comics in the series
First off I am not gonna lie, this wasn’t as good as I anticipated but does get better throughout. I really didn’t like the retro artwork that was going on, I felt that the artwork needed to be more sombre for this storyline. There is a lot of nudity in this book, like constantly and I really don’t think it was that necessary. I am not a prude but there was literally, tits, ass and vagina’s on every page
This graphic novel deals with several topics such as feminism, oppression, racism and voyeurism (lot’s of ism’s I know) so this book is not going to be for everyone. I liked the fact that not every women in this book had a bikini body, there were characters such as Penny that were bigger ladies and proud of it. There was also background information to why these women were on Bitch Planet, which helped with character development. The important message that is coming across in this graphic novel is that all women should be themselves and not to give a damn about other people’s opinions.I think the storyline is getting better as you get towards the end of this bind up and would be definitely interested in reading more
I had trouble with the layout as provided to me via Netgalley, it took the experience away from me and I would probably enjoyed it more in a physical format.
Overall I gave this 3 out of 5 stars.
This a bind up of the first 5 comics in the series
First off I am not gonna lie, this wasn’t as good as I anticipated but does get better throughout. I really didn’t like the retro artwork that was going on, I felt that the artwork needed to be more sombre for this storyline. There is a lot of nudity in this book, like constantly and I really don’t think it was that necessary. I am not a prude but there was literally, tits, ass and vagina’s on every page
This graphic novel deals with several topics such as feminism, oppression, racism and voyeurism (lot’s of ism’s I know) so this book is not going to be for everyone. I liked the fact that not every women in this book had a bikini body, there were characters such as Penny that were bigger ladies and proud of it. There was also background information to why these women were on Bitch Planet, which helped with character development. The important message that is coming across in this graphic novel is that all women should be themselves and not to give a damn about other people’s opinions.I think the storyline is getting better as you get towards the end of this bind up and would be definitely interested in reading more
I had trouble with the layout as provided to me via Netgalley, it took the experience away from me and I would probably enjoyed it more in a physical format.
Overall I gave this 3 out of 5 stars.
TacoDave (3553 KP) rated Detroit: Become Human in Video Games
Nov 2, 2018 (Updated Nov 2, 2018)
Story (3 more)
Cinematic
Intense
Thought-provoking
Slow-moving (1 more)
A bit too on-the-nose politically
A unique gaming experience, but not necessarily a video game...
I won a copy of Detroit: Become Human here on Smashbomb and I'm really glad I did. I liked David Cage's previous games - specifically The Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain - but I wasn't sure about this one. A story about androids being treated badly (an obvious metaphor for racism) didn't intrigue me at first blush, although the demo was pretty good.
But after playing the game, I came away pleasantly surprised. Cage's games are more like interactive movies than full video games, and that's fine with me. It is refreshing to play something that is more about contemplation and decision-making than twitchy reactions. And the stories in Detroit: Become Human were interesting enough to keep me playing.
But be warned: this game isn't for precious snowflakes. It involves violence, crime, death, abuse, and several other topics that might make someone with thinner skin cry out "Trigger Warning!!!" But those are exactly the kinds of topics that deserve contemplation, and this game is a perfect fit for those themes. It also has tons of swearing, if that bothers you. I played with the subtitles on and the sound turned way down when my kids were around.
One other caveat: the gameplay revolves around following on-screen prompts to use the joystick a certain way or push the correct button. If you aren't very familiar with a PS4 controller, I suggest you study the button layout and figure out where everything is so you can react with the right button press when needed.
But after playing the game, I came away pleasantly surprised. Cage's games are more like interactive movies than full video games, and that's fine with me. It is refreshing to play something that is more about contemplation and decision-making than twitchy reactions. And the stories in Detroit: Become Human were interesting enough to keep me playing.
But be warned: this game isn't for precious snowflakes. It involves violence, crime, death, abuse, and several other topics that might make someone with thinner skin cry out "Trigger Warning!!!" But those are exactly the kinds of topics that deserve contemplation, and this game is a perfect fit for those themes. It also has tons of swearing, if that bothers you. I played with the subtitles on and the sound turned way down when my kids were around.
One other caveat: the gameplay revolves around following on-screen prompts to use the joystick a certain way or push the correct button. If you aren't very familiar with a PS4 controller, I suggest you study the button layout and figure out where everything is so you can react with the right button press when needed.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Green Book (2018) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019
This generation's Driving Miss Daisy
The 2018 Academy Awards were interesting. On one hand, I was very happy boring, pointless Roma did not win Best Picture; however i was really pulling for The Favourite to win. Neither happened and Green Book snuck in and captured the top prize instead.
The modern Oscars are free of epics like Ben-Hur, The Sound of Music or West Side Story. Instead, character-driven stories seem to be in favor recently.
In this true story, recently unemployed Italian bouncer Tony "Lip" gets hired to drive an African American genius concert pianist throughout his fall tour of the deep southern United States in 1962.
As the two men get to know each other, they are exposed to the very different worlds and set of values the each possesses. Initial hesitation is replaced by eventual respect as the men grow a bond throughout their southern adventure as they confront racism in various threatening or nonchalant forms as is happens.
Tony comes to the aide of his client, Dr. Donald Shirley, several times revealing his bigotry and denial for his race has begun to wane. Dr. Shirley as well begins to understand Tony's rough exterior and even delights Tony's wife Cyrano de Bergerac style assistance in writing verbose and eloquent letters to her.
The acting is thorough and top notch by both Viggo Mortensen (one of the great working actors today) and Mahershala Ali (hot off of Moonlight) with a screenplay to match. The characters are flawed, vivid, well-rounded and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this memorable film and well deserved of the big prize.
The modern Oscars are free of epics like Ben-Hur, The Sound of Music or West Side Story. Instead, character-driven stories seem to be in favor recently.
In this true story, recently unemployed Italian bouncer Tony "Lip" gets hired to drive an African American genius concert pianist throughout his fall tour of the deep southern United States in 1962.
As the two men get to know each other, they are exposed to the very different worlds and set of values the each possesses. Initial hesitation is replaced by eventual respect as the men grow a bond throughout their southern adventure as they confront racism in various threatening or nonchalant forms as is happens.
Tony comes to the aide of his client, Dr. Donald Shirley, several times revealing his bigotry and denial for his race has begun to wane. Dr. Shirley as well begins to understand Tony's rough exterior and even delights Tony's wife Cyrano de Bergerac style assistance in writing verbose and eloquent letters to her.
The acting is thorough and top notch by both Viggo Mortensen (one of the great working actors today) and Mahershala Ali (hot off of Moonlight) with a screenplay to match. The characters are flawed, vivid, well-rounded and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this memorable film and well deserved of the big prize.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Just Mercy (2019) in Movies
Jan 21, 2020
Fact-based courtroom drama. Idealistic young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan), fresh out of Harvard, heads down to Alabama and sets up an agency to provide legal support to people with no other recourse. He comes across the case of convicted murderer Walter McMillian (Foxx), which strikes him as deeply compromised. But can he overcome a prejudiced system and win his client justice?
I was all set to be very glib and cynical about what looks like - from the trailer at least - another box-ticking exercise in liberal angst about the Plight of Black America, calculated to have a presence during awards season. Well, to some extent this is that kind of a movie, but it is also a genuinely involving, powerful and moving drama - it's the kind of film that gets past your defences and forces you to care, thanks to basic film-making virtues, a compelling story, and strong performances. Anyone doubting that Michael B Jordan is now a significant leading man should check out his performance here: he brings strength, dignity, and nobility, as you would expect, but there is also a willingness to show naivety and vulnerability. Obviously this is part of a tradition of films about racism in America that includes To Kill a Mockingbird and In the Heat of the Night, but by focusing mainly on the legal plotline and saving its political points until near the end, it makes them all the more impactful when they land. Jordan gets stuck with a bit too much speechifying as the film goes on, and a couple of the supporting performances are arguably overcooked, but otherwise this is an extremely accomplished film.
I was all set to be very glib and cynical about what looks like - from the trailer at least - another box-ticking exercise in liberal angst about the Plight of Black America, calculated to have a presence during awards season. Well, to some extent this is that kind of a movie, but it is also a genuinely involving, powerful and moving drama - it's the kind of film that gets past your defences and forces you to care, thanks to basic film-making virtues, a compelling story, and strong performances. Anyone doubting that Michael B Jordan is now a significant leading man should check out his performance here: he brings strength, dignity, and nobility, as you would expect, but there is also a willingness to show naivety and vulnerability. Obviously this is part of a tradition of films about racism in America that includes To Kill a Mockingbird and In the Heat of the Night, but by focusing mainly on the legal plotline and saving its political points until near the end, it makes them all the more impactful when they land. Jordan gets stuck with a bit too much speechifying as the film goes on, and a couple of the supporting performances are arguably overcooked, but otherwise this is an extremely accomplished film.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Dakota and the American Dream in Books
Apr 24, 2020
"Dakota was tired of playing catch with his mother at the park," so he rested on a bench but was soon distracted by a peculiar talking squirrel. Chasing after the strange creature, Dakota finds himself in a fantasy world full of anthropomorphic animals. Before he knows what is happening, Dakota finds himself working for Corporate America with its odd rules and unhappy employees.
The fantasy world of Sameer Garach's Dakota and the American Dream is a satire of modern-day America. From a ten year old's perspective, the short story covers the corporate ladder, hierarchy, racism, discrimination, career success and an extreme love of coffee. Whilst all this is humorous to the adult mind, there is an alarming amount of truth that paints the "American Dream" as a corrupt society.
From the very start, Dakota's experience feels remarkably like Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and could almost be said to be a 21st-century version of the classic children's book. Most of Dakota's story will go over the heads of young readers, however, adults will enjoy the humour and childhood innocence as well as appreciate the connection with their favourite books as a child.
As a parody of both real life and fiction, Dakota and the American Dream is a clever story that entertains and makes you think. Although sometimes extreme, it is amusing to read about everyday life being acted out by squirrels, mice, rats, a cowardly lion, an 800-pound Gorilla and many more bizarre creatures. If the humour and satire was stripped away, we would be left with a child's confusion about the way America works with many things appearing stupid or unfair.
The fantasy world of Sameer Garach's Dakota and the American Dream is a satire of modern-day America. From a ten year old's perspective, the short story covers the corporate ladder, hierarchy, racism, discrimination, career success and an extreme love of coffee. Whilst all this is humorous to the adult mind, there is an alarming amount of truth that paints the "American Dream" as a corrupt society.
From the very start, Dakota's experience feels remarkably like Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and could almost be said to be a 21st-century version of the classic children's book. Most of Dakota's story will go over the heads of young readers, however, adults will enjoy the humour and childhood innocence as well as appreciate the connection with their favourite books as a child.
As a parody of both real life and fiction, Dakota and the American Dream is a clever story that entertains and makes you think. Although sometimes extreme, it is amusing to read about everyday life being acted out by squirrels, mice, rats, a cowardly lion, an 800-pound Gorilla and many more bizarre creatures. If the humour and satire was stripped away, we would be left with a child's confusion about the way America works with many things appearing stupid or unfair.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated This Lovely City in Books
May 1, 2020
The beginnings of the Windrush generation.
The only thing I didn’t like about This Lovely City by Louise Hare, were the attitudes of a lot of the (predominantly) white, male Londoners. And there’s not a thing that the author could do about that.
In 1948 answering a call from the Homeland, Lawrie and hundreds of mainly young men like him, arrived in London, fresh off the Empire Windrush from Jamaica. They were there to help rebuild England after the Blitz and the end of the Second World War. We see this story mainly from Lawrie’s point of view, so we see the racism, the way he was turned away from jobs because the other men wouldn’t want to work with ‘his type’. It was a shock to see the use of the ‘n’ word so often, and the blatant hostility towards Lawrie and his friends.
This story isn’t just about that though. There’s a bit of a love story and a mystery to solve as well. Lawrie makes an upsetting discovery, and rather than being thanked for it, he is immediately under suspicion. Again, solely down to the colour of his skin.
I loved this book. It gave me an insight into the lives of the Windrush generation as they began their lives here. Lawrie and his girlfriend Evie were great characters to read about - I WANTED all to be well for them, as I did for the other Jamaican characters, if I’m honest.
If this is Louise Hare’s first book, I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for my copy of this wonderful book.
In 1948 answering a call from the Homeland, Lawrie and hundreds of mainly young men like him, arrived in London, fresh off the Empire Windrush from Jamaica. They were there to help rebuild England after the Blitz and the end of the Second World War. We see this story mainly from Lawrie’s point of view, so we see the racism, the way he was turned away from jobs because the other men wouldn’t want to work with ‘his type’. It was a shock to see the use of the ‘n’ word so often, and the blatant hostility towards Lawrie and his friends.
This story isn’t just about that though. There’s a bit of a love story and a mystery to solve as well. Lawrie makes an upsetting discovery, and rather than being thanked for it, he is immediately under suspicion. Again, solely down to the colour of his skin.
I loved this book. It gave me an insight into the lives of the Windrush generation as they began their lives here. Lawrie and his girlfriend Evie were great characters to read about - I WANTED all to be well for them, as I did for the other Jamaican characters, if I’m honest.
If this is Louise Hare’s first book, I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for my copy of this wonderful book.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Get Out (2017) in Movies
Feb 18, 2020
Get Out is an incredibly strong directorial debut from Jordan Peele and is easily in the top tier of horror/thriller movies in the last few years.
He manages to craft a film that has an underlying sense of unease throughout, an aspect of the film that hardly lets up at any point.
The plot revolves around Rose (Allison Williams) taking her African-American boyfriend Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) away for the weekend to meet her very white family. Chris has reservations, understandably, due to the fact that casual racism is a thing that unfortunately exists. As the weekend draws on, Chris begins to realise that his worries perhaps aren't that unfounded. The only other black people around are house servants, and are acting strange, and it's doesn't take too long before a truly disturbing truth is discovered. To say any more would spoil the narrative, but it's a great plot, with a ridiculous twist.
Layered underneath the madness of the horror is a strong social commentary about race divides, and how a lot of white people perceive others. It's executed brilliantly, and is absorbing as much as it is uncomfortable.
The cast are terrific, especially Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Betty Gabriel, and LaKeith Stanfield.
Catherine Keener is another highlight - I'm so used to seeing her play good people, that the sinister nature of her character in Get Out is so unnerving, and adds even more the experience.
With both Get Out, and last year's Us, Jordan Peele has started his career in horror on a hot streak, and I can't wait to see what he brings to the table next.
He manages to craft a film that has an underlying sense of unease throughout, an aspect of the film that hardly lets up at any point.
The plot revolves around Rose (Allison Williams) taking her African-American boyfriend Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) away for the weekend to meet her very white family. Chris has reservations, understandably, due to the fact that casual racism is a thing that unfortunately exists. As the weekend draws on, Chris begins to realise that his worries perhaps aren't that unfounded. The only other black people around are house servants, and are acting strange, and it's doesn't take too long before a truly disturbing truth is discovered. To say any more would spoil the narrative, but it's a great plot, with a ridiculous twist.
Layered underneath the madness of the horror is a strong social commentary about race divides, and how a lot of white people perceive others. It's executed brilliantly, and is absorbing as much as it is uncomfortable.
The cast are terrific, especially Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Betty Gabriel, and LaKeith Stanfield.
Catherine Keener is another highlight - I'm so used to seeing her play good people, that the sinister nature of her character in Get Out is so unnerving, and adds even more the experience.
With both Get Out, and last year's Us, Jordan Peele has started his career in horror on a hot streak, and I can't wait to see what he brings to the table next.