Get Out: Horror Tropes, Humor in Horror, Monsters, Elimination of Threats

The following analysis was submitted for an informal film journal assignment Junior year.

Horror Tropes

Get Out uses the formal elements and tropes of a horror movie to situate itself within the horror genre. Formally, the opening scene of Get Out helps establish the film’s characterization as a horror film. In this scene, Andre walks alone through a suburban neighborhood at night. The scene relies on source lighting from the street lamps to create a shot that is visually characterized by shadows and low-key lighting. As the car approaches Andre and begins to follow him, the formally ominous atmosphere indicates to the spectator that Andre is not safe. Oftentimes, horror films capitalize on universal fears, such as darkness, to set an ominous tone. However, dark and foreboding scenes do not remain consistent throughout the film, so the filmmakers must capitalize on other tropes of fear to retain the film’s fear-inducing quality. For example, the filmmakers situate much of the plot’s action at Rose’s family's isolated home in the woods. Filmmakers often use isolated, wooded settings to indicate horror. As Chris and Rose drive to Rose’s parents’ home, we see the road is largely empty. Spectators only see trees beyond the side windows and front windshield, implying the destination is in a remote area. The wooded setting during this drive towards the house establishes a suspenseful atmosphere as they approach their destination. Once the couple arrives, Chris gets out of the car, looks at the home, and foreboding music plays as he takes a moment to stare at the house that will ultimately contain the horror-inciting events in the plot.

Humor in Horror Films

The interplay of comedy and horror within the horror genre aids in the palatability of a film, while also creating expectations and tones that are subsequently contrasted with fear-inciting moments. In the case of Get Out, the incorporation of comedic elements helps make even the horrifying political messages more bearable. In general, horror films (like other genres) are created, to a large extent, for the accrual of profit. While some people may enjoy being relentlessly terrified for the duration of a film, many consumers rely on the incorporation of comedic reprieves to balance the more terrifying scenes. Essentially, intertwining comedy with horror gives the spectator a moment to breathe. However, the insertion of humor in horror films also helps set the tone for the film’s frightening elements. Comedic moments might diminish the spectator’s expectation that something bad is about to happen or they might inspire a feeling that things are almost going ‘too well’ and establish suspense for a subsequent, scary scene. The interplay of horror and comedy may even exist within a singular scene. As Rose and Chris are driving to the family home, Chris speaks with Rod on the phone. They laugh as Rod jokes about getting in trouble for patting down an older woman in the TSA line. The spectator aligns with Chris in this scene because we only see the side profile of Rose. Thus, we laugh along with Chris and Rod’s comedic relief. However, Rod then says “don’t go to a white girl’s parents house” and Chris hangs up. As spectators, we follow their funny conversation and perhaps even laugh along with Chris and Rod’s banter. We expect the scene to be funny, but our expectations for humor are subverted by the insertion of Rod’s line about not going to the family home. Comedy also has the capacity to conjure a degree of discomfort when placed in an otherwise frightening context. For instance, spectators eventually recognize the haunted-nature of the family home, which makes the scene where they are all laughing together at the dinner table viscerally uncomfortable and suspense-inducing. 

Monsters

Monsters in horror films violate the spectator’s sense of normalcy. One might begin to suspect Andre’s fulfillment of this role with his eerily unnatural response to Chris’ flash photograph during their initial introduction. Chris assumes Andre will be a friendly face during the visit, as Andre is the only other black male in attendance. Chris is nervous about how his racial identity might be perceived by Rose’s family and is immediately, ignorantly inquired by Rose’s family about whether he feels that his racial identity is advantageous. Chris calls on Andre to answer the question, hoping that Andre will be able to assist him in the uncomfortable, targeted conversation. In this instance, we expect Andre to take over the conversation and help deflect the barrage of questions directed at Chris. We expect them to share a sense of normalcy and tackle the predominantly white crowd together. We expect Andre to be ‘normal’. However, Andre responds in an unexpected manner, stating that he regards his black identity as advantageous. Chris rolls his eyes in response. Here, we realize Andre might not be on Chris’ side at all. Chris then takes a photo of Andre and his glazed-over eyes, bleeding nose, furrowed eyebrows, and blank stare indicate there is something abnormally inhuman about him. Andre’s robotic voice and subsequent attack on Chris make it seem like he will be the monster in the film, for he appears to present a threat to Chris’s safety. However, one ultimately finds out Dean has lobotomized Andre and intends to do the same with Chris. Thus, the source of Andre’s repelling monstrosity is actually Dean. Therefore, the perceived threat Andre initially poses actually illuminates the Armitage family’s monstrous role in the film. Each member of the family plays, at minimum, a supplementary role in the violence against black individuals. We expect the family to be a progressive, white family, but our expectations are violated when we find out that they are the perpetrators of both physical and verbal violence against people of color. Making Andre out to be the initial suspect for the monster role is an interesting plot decision because it sheds light on how white individuals (even if politically “liberal”) project threatening traits onto black individuals.

Horror Movies’ Restoration of Social Order via Threat Elimination

In a meta sense, the conclusion of Get Out could not possibly restore social order through the violent elimination of a threat because of the orientation of race as the overriding threat in the film. Narratively, Chris kills the Armitage family, including Rose and Georgina. The police show up as Rose is bleeding out, which the spectator assumes will incriminate Chris. We realize that the “police” is actually Rod in his TSA uniform and the two drive off as Rose dies on the street. On the surface level, Chris is no longer endangered by the Armitage family. However, I would argue that the true threat is not the Armitage family themselves, but rather their racist ideals. Their racist ideals drive the on-screen violence against black individuals, situating the threat of physical violence as a manifestation of the overriding ideological threat. One might assume that the conclusion aligns with the traditional conclusion of horror movies because the protagonist physically kills off those that previously endangered them. Yet, the elimination of racist characters does not eliminate racism itself. Chris’s life will still be haunted by the threat of racism, even if such racism hides behind the guise of self-defined white liberals like the Armitages.