The Get Out

In Heat, Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) lives by one simple philosophy: never get attached to anything you’re not willing to walk away from in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner. I couldn’t help but think of that line when I saw the title of Derrick Borte’s new film, The Get Out. The question, of course, is whether anyone in this movie lives by that same philosophy.

Somewhere in Los Angeles sits a nightclub that’s doing pretty good business. It’s run by Marco (Russell Crowe), but there’s more to the club than meets the eye. For years, Marco and his girlfriend Sunny (Teresa Palmer) have been laundering money for a local gangster, making regular cash deposits that eventually come out clean on the other side. It’s a system that’s worked flawlessly—until now.

During what should have been another routine trip to the bank, Marco is robbed of the money he was about to deposit. What he doesn’t know is that a crooked cop tipped off Jeff (Aaron Paul), instructing him to rob Marco so he could pay off a debt he owes the officer.

Of course, amateurs are going to amateur.

Jeff makes one critical mistake by taking the stolen money to the bank, where teller Carrie (Nina Dobrev) notices the suspiciously large deposit. Rather than call the authorities, she decides to blackmail Jeff into cutting her in on the next job.

The robbery also pushes Marco toward finally selling the nightclub, accepting an offer from Joe (Luke Evans), who’s been trying to buy it for years. Before long, everyone’s plans begin colliding, and what starts as a simple robbery spirals into a situation where several people have bitten off far more than they can chew. Now they’re all looking for a way out before everything comes crashing down.

Written by Daniel Forte and Derrick Borte, with Borte also directing, The Get Out is adapted from Thomas Perry’s novel Strip. It feels like it’s trying to channel an Elmore Leonard crime story with its colorful characters, quirky dialogue, and intersecting storylines. Unfortunately, it ends up feeling more like Stick than Out of Sight, which isn’t exactly the comparison you want.

To Borte’s credit, he does a respectable job juggling the film’s large cast of characters. Where the movie stumbles is in bringing all of those storylines together in a satisfying way. There’s also a noticeable tonal shift that never quite lands. The first half is light, playful, and filled with comedic complications, but the second half takes a much darker turn, searching for a payoff that never fully arrives.

The Get Out never really finds its rhythm. Too often, it feels like it’s borrowing from better crime movies instead of carving out its own identity.

Thankfully, the cast is fully committed. Russell Crowe is his usual reliable self, bringing an effortless confidence to Marco, while Nina Dobrev ends up being the movie’s biggest surprise. She injects the film with an energetic spark and even gets to show off her affection for Point Break, making Carrie one of the more memorable characters.

It really feels like the first act has everything in place for a fun crime caper. The comedic setup works, the complications pile up naturally, and you’re ready to see it all unravel. But as the film grows darker, it loses much of that momentum, ultimately falling short of nailing any particular genre down.

That said, there’s still a certain charm to The Get Out. Thanks largely to its talented cast, there’s enough here to keep you invested. It’s just a shame that, despite aiming at an entertaining blend of crime and comedy, it never quite hits the target.

Brian Taylor

Member of the North Texas Film Critics Association, and lover of all things Cinema