Horror and comedy have blended well since around the beginning of film for one key reason: the release that both allow from the audience. The building set-up is not unlike the quiet before the jump scare. Both utilize equations of timing to provoke an unconscious reaction. Because of these similarities, the horror-comedy is a well-tapped genre, especially in the last couple decades of works aiming their trajectory at the cult DVD bin. So it takes a particular level of skill to mine new ground in the territory, particularly from a first time director. What makes Jordan Peele’s Get Out so engaging, frightening and hysterical is that he knows exactly when to play the material straight; which it turns out is most of the time. Full review
