'The Get Out' Review
- Peter Gray
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 06/26/26 [Cinemas / VOD]
Genre: Action. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Vertical.
The Verdict: A Maybe
Six years after turning road rage into a surprisingly effective B-movie thriller with Unhinged, director Derrick Borte reunites with Russell Crowe for The Get Out, a crime caper that aims to blend neo-noir tension, eccentric humour, and escalating criminal chaos. The result is an entertaining enough diversion buoyed by a committed cast, even if it never quite discovers the distinctive identity it so desperately wants.
Crowe stars as Manco Kapac, an ageing Albanian nightclub owner whose plans for retirement are accelerated by a health scare and a growing desire to leave his dangerous world behind. Unfortunately, life has other ideas. A robbery committed by struggling university professor Jeff (Aaron Paul), the involvement of thrill-seeking bank teller Carrie (Nina Dobrev), and the arrival of a mysterious prospective buyer named Joe (Luke Evans) send Manco spiralling into a web of blackmail, cartels, double-crosses, and increasingly bad decisions.
On paper, it's the sort of colourful ensemble crime story that evokes memories of Elmore Leonard adaptations or the sun-drenched criminal misadventures of Carl Hiaasen. Borte and co-writer Daniel Forte clearly understand the appeal of those influences, filling the screenplay with quirky personalities, intersecting storylines, and moments of dark comedy. For much of its first half, The Get Out succeeds on that level alone. Watching these disparate characters stumble into increasingly complicated situations carries a genuine sense of momentum, and there are enough amusing interactions to keep the narrative afloat.
The film's greatest asset is Crowe himself. Having spent recent years embracing more playful performances, the Oscar winner appears to be having an absolute blast as Manco. Whether he's attempting meditation to lower his blood pressure, navigating absurd criminal complications, or simply barking out insults with deadpan conviction, Crowe brings a welcome sense of self-awareness to material that often threatens to take itself too seriously. It's one of those performances where the actor's enjoyment becomes infectious.
Dobrev is similarly entertaining, injecting Carrie with an unpredictable energy that often threatens to steal the film outright. Her character's fascination with Point Break and her increasingly reckless enthusiasm for crime provide some of the movie's funniest moments. Paul, meanwhile, plays the perpetual straight man amidst the madness, effectively capturing Jeff's mounting panic as his life spirals beyond his control.
Unfortunately, The Get Out struggles to maintain the balance it establishes early on. As the narrative progresses, the comedic edge begins to fade and the film pivots toward more conventional crime-thriller territory. The tonal transition is uneven, leaving the humour feeling underdeveloped and the suspense lacking genuine bite. What begins as a quirky ensemble piece gradually morphs into a fairly standard tale of criminals, cartels, and inevitable betrayals.
The screenplay doesn't help matters. Several twists are telegraphed well in advance, and many of the characters remain sketches rather than fully realised personalities. Despite juggling multiple perspectives, the story rarely digs beneath surface-level motivations, making it difficult to become truly invested in anyone's fate. The dialogue fares similarly, often spelling out character intentions rather than allowing them to emerge naturally.
Even the action sequences feel surprisingly muted. For a film built around robberies, criminal conspiracies, and violent repercussions, there's little urgency or excitement to the set pieces. They're competently staged but rarely memorable, contributing to an overall sense that the film never quite reaches the heightened entertainment value it's aiming for.
Yet despite its shortcomings, The Get Out remains watchable throughout. The cast is uniformly committed, the pacing rarely drags, and there are enough flashes of offbeat humour to suggest a sharper, funnier version of the movie lurking beneath the surface. It's the kind of mid-budget crime thriller that increasingly finds its audience through streaming platforms: easy to consume, occasionally amusing, and ultimately disposable.
There have certainly been better Russell Crowe vehicles, and there have been worse. The Get Out lands squarely in the middle - a mildly entertaining crime romp elevated by charismatic performances but held back by familiar plotting and an inability to fully commit to either its comedy or its thriller instincts. Enjoyable enough while it's playing, but unlikely to linger long after the credits roll.
