Simple screenplay in many ways. It follows the format of a romantic comedy, and then subtly slips in horror moments along the way.
Then tension is created within the story in traditional ways: the cop showing up to question them on the drive to her parents’ after they hit the deer: inherent tension for black man with the cops. The peculiar manner in which Rose's family greets Chris.
What did I like about it? I liked the unexpected parts...the guests at the party suddenly becoming silent when Chris walked inside the house. The Andre character being a link between his old world and this new order.
It’s funny that his best friend, Rod, was basically laying out some form of the plot the entire way. It was obvious to him; taken as a joke by Chris, laughed at by the cops, yet his conspiracy theory was correct. I think that leads into the theme which is the heart of this movie and what made it so impactful vs a regular horror/comedy...white people sexualizing and aggrandizing black people while at the same time subjugating them. The way black people can lose their identity by being surrounded by whites. The fear black men have of white people (white women) using them or bringing them to their demise. The white guilt being twisted into overcorrection, i.e. “I would’ve voted for Obama a third time if I had the chance!”
Overall, the theme drove the film and the main character’s backstory of his family...he was sitting there when his mom died and did not take action, and that made him want to take action in his own life now. He misused this knowledge when he tried to help Georgiana, but ultimately it saved him.
The ending was a nice twist because at first it was like...fuck! The expectation was that the cops showed up, and so Rose was already pretending like he was the violent one. As the audience, we crunch the numbers in this situation and see: this black man is covered in blood but not injured, while there’s an entire house full of dead white people and this white girlfriend crying out about him...it would’ve looked like he was the criminal to any rational person, let alone racist cops. That brings in the relief of the twist, that it’s his pal Rod in his TSA mobile and he’s here to save Chris. They drive off together.
It ended so fast...part of me wanted more, but maybe it was best just to cut out. It was odd that it was comical at the ending after all that drama. “I think we need some time apart,” is a line that underemphasizes what just occurred. “I told you to get the fuck out of that house, man,” Rod says.
Chris was ignoring the signs in front of him, and his best friend’s advice. He was caught up. I guess it is best to end right then and there, with this odd mood of what the fuck just happened and a little comical quip. That’s what Jordan decided, and it’s best to trust.
Poster from PosterSpy.