Happy Halloween, spooky readers! Feminist Halloween is back for our 4th annual review of horror media and Halloween culture. I didn’t watch as many new horror films this year because I wasn’t really interested in anything that came out (It, Mother!). I mean, we’re also living in a high-key political horror story right now but OKAY.
The one horror film I did see this year was Get Out, which is one of the most densely and well crafted films I’ve seen in a long time.
[mildest spoilers, all major spoilers are in the links section]
In Get Out, directed by Jordan Peele, Chris Washington is about to meet his girlfriend Rose Armitage’s parents for the first time. Rose is white and has failed to mention to her parents that Chris is Black–but don’t worry, they would have voted for Obama a third time! Once they get to the mansion outside the suburbs, something doesn’t seem to be right, but Chris isn’t sure if he’s being paranoid, if Rose’s family doesn’t approve of their relationship, or if they’re “colorblind” “good white people” who haven’t unpacked their internalized racism and are microaggressing in an attempt to be friendly. (Yes, that is absolutely a thing.)
While I don’t want to act like every marginalized person has the same experiences around dealing with those with more privilege, that feeling of “oh god I think your [white/cis/het/wealthy/able-bodied/neurotypical] family/friends/coworkers are treating me weird and making microaggressions like it’s going out of style, and I’m not sure if it’s because they’re uncomfortable with me as a marginalized person or if I’m just assuming that they don’t like me because my presence makes them confront their own [racism/transphobia/queerphobia/classism/ableism]” is SO REAL. In less run-on words: Am I imagining they’re treating me differently? Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Is my partner also gaslighting me?
(Major spoilers in trailer after 1:05)
So much has been written about this film, so here are some articles that delve deeper into the themes and motifs in the film, and they all contain major spoilers:
“Get Out” and the Ineffectiveness of White Feminism
22 Secrets Hidden In “Get Out” You May Have Missed
Allison Williams breaks down the infamous Froot Loops scene in ‘Get Out’ (See here for the symbolism of milk in the film)
On the symbolism of eyes and sight: In Get Out, the Eyes Have It
On The Sunken Place
Warnings: Rated R; contains gore, blood, violence, racially motivated violence, racism, medical horror, hypnotism, childhood trauma, domestic abuse, white people.
The Lobster Dance 
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