Oscar Contenders: ‘Get Out’ Looks to Smash Academy Award Ceiling

With Hollywood’s awards season upon us, we’re examining the oddsmakers’ favorites to nab coveted trophies at the upcoming 90th Academy Awards. Jordan Peele’s horror/thriller Get Out tackles questions of racism in modern America, and appears poised to dominate awards season.

Written and directed by Peele, the film’s official synopsis reads:

“Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy and Dean. At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.”

The film and its auteur were met with critical acclaim upon release, with Richard Roeper writing of Get Out, “The real star of the film is writer-director Jordan Peele, who has created a work that addresses the myriad levels of racism, pays homage to some great horror films, carves out its own creative path, has a distinctive visual style — and is flat-out funny as well.”

Get Out has been nominated for, and won, numerous critics association awards for 2017. The film’s Oscar chances received a huge boost when it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor – Comedy or Musical awards at the Golden Globes. Wins in either of those categories would vault the film’s chances even higher.