By Brian Klose
Opinion Editor
This issue’s Hero of the Week honors Jordan Peele, whose directorial debut, “Get Out,” is blowing away box office numbers and making history. The comedian, writer, and director cemented himself as one of the new kings of comedy-horror, and has boosted the new genre of social thriller.
“Get Out” tells the story of Chris Washington, a black man who is introduced to his white girlfriend’s seemingly accepting family. Chris soon realizes that nothing is what it seems, and is eventually trapped by the mysterious family. The movie tackles the horrors of race and class, and has one of the most satisfying endings to a horror movie to date.
“Get Out,” which premiered in late February, has grossed over $113 million at the box office and has received universal acclaim from critics and audiences. Peele became the first African-American writer-director to earn over $100 million for a film debut.
Thankfully, Peele says “Get Out” is just the first of many new social thrillers in the works.
Peele said in an interview with Indiewire, “I’ve been working on these premises about these different social demons these innately human monsters that are woven into the fabric of how we think and how we interact, and each one of my movies is going to be about a different one of these social demons.”
