initial takeaways

Given that Get Out was all about racism, and Peele had previously said his second one would also have a social commentary, I waited for this one to have a racial bend. At the beginning, I half-thought the tunnel thing would turn out to be an Underground Railroad reference (yes I know it wasn't actually a legit underground railroad, not that ignorant). Was refreshing that race was no factor in the movie, just a movie where the protagonists happened to not be white.

I liked the bowl of Froot Loops though, nice little nod to Get Out.

Vaguely reminiscent of Here Comes the Devil. And The Strangers.

I will never hear Good Vibrations quite the same.

Mixed on the whole explanation. I think having it be large scale is creepy. But also I feel like keeping it on a smaller, more intimate scale would've made it scarier somehow too in a way. But I feel like the larger the scale, the better needed an explanation, and the explanation just felt a little weak and therefore a bit more forced as social commentary.

Also, having it be larger scale makes me worry that some idiot at a studio will feel it's something that needs to be turned into yet another movie universe, loosely connected, a la Cloverfield.

I kind of saw the twist coming from the beginning, I even thought to myself "We're not being shown everything here, what if they switched?" But everything in between was compelling enough where I kind of forgot about that. It did get to feel a little long in parts, I feel like a slight amount of fat-trimming would've ramped up the pace more, but I think Peele is definitely more about the slow boil.

I'm a little confused about how Jason was just randomly able to control Pluto's movements, that didn't seem like a huge thing beforehand unless I missed something.

Also a little confused about the real Red, did she just sort of... *block out* the truth about who she was as soon as she left? And I'm a bit thrown by how at the beginning, it appears they're wearing the exact same thing, so how come in the flashbacks, they swap outfits?

I definitely look forward to a second viewing. I know that Get Out had a number of things I didn't latch on to the first time, I feel like that'll be the case here, which I love.

I really enjoyed it. I do think calling it the "scariest movie ever" is probably a bit much. My favorite of 2019 so far though, any genre. But I think people are quick to heap heavy praise when it's something that's new, or reviewers just want their quote to be used.

I'll give it a 9/10, and look forward to Peele's next.