With 2017 coming to an end, February’s Get Out has remained one of the best movies of the year of any genre. The film sparked awards rumors immediately after its debut and, in hopes of hedging its bets at the Golden Globe Awards, is seeking consideration in the comedy categories instead of the drama categories.
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There’s no argument that the film belongs in the horror genre, but with comedic mastermind Jordan Peele having written and directed the film, Get Out has as many laughs as it has scares. The consideration as a comedy might come as a shock to some, knowing how horrifying the film is, but the Golden Globe Awards divides its nominations between dramas and comedy/musicals. Get Out vying for the comedic portion of the awards will reduce its contenders, which would likely include Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread and Steven Spielberg’s The Post in the drama realm.
This is far from the first time a film surprised audiences by setting its sights on the comedy categories, with Ridley Scott’s The Martian earning the Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy back in 2016. The film had plenty of laughs, but seeing as it depicted the journey of an astronaut stranded on Mars and the mission to bring him home, most audiences assumed it would be included in the drama category.
Sadly, despite the variety of accomplished films that debut each year in the realm of horror, the merits of those films are often overlooked due solely to their genre.
In the ’60s and ’70s, films like The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen all earned their fair share of praise, demonstrating that, despite these films tackling terrifying subject matter, the cast and filmmakers behind these productions demonstrated the best of what Hollywood had to offer. The dismissal of the genre as a whole seems to have originated with the rise of the slasher film in the ’80s, which often sacrificed strong direction and powerful performances for gore and nudity.
In 1991, the horror film The Silence of the Lambs helped turn the tide, earning the most coveted Academy Awards of that year, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress. In 2010, Black Swan helped remind audiences the power of the genre, with star Natalie Portman earning the Best Actress Oscar and the film earning a nomination for Best Picture.
Whether it wins any awards or not, there’s no denying that Get Out will be considered one of the best films of 2017, regardless of genre.
[H/T Entertainment Weekly]
