When I was younger, if someone asked me what kind of movies I liked, I’d say, “Everything.” If they asked what kind of music I listened to, I’d say, “All kinds.” If they asked my favorite genre, I’d tell them I didn’t really have one.
As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve realized that’s not true.
I’ve discovered I have a real affection for stories where multiple paths intersect. Different characters with different motivations, all unknowingly moving toward the same destination. Some of those motivations are obvious, others are buried a little deeper, and somewhere along the way there’s usually a twist you never quite saw coming. Those are the stories I find myself returning to, whether it’s in movies or books.
No one did that better than Elmore Leonard.
Books like Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Rum Punch all masterfully juggle colorful characters, razor-sharp dialogue, crime, comedy, and suspense. Rum Punch, of course, became Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, one of my favorite crime films ever made. Those stories don’t just keep you guessing—they make you care about every person involved, even when they’re making terrible decisions.
That’s exactly what I found myself thinking while watching The Get Out.
Director Derrick Borte reunites with Russell Crowe after Unhinged, adapting Thomas Perry’s novel Strip into a smart, funny, tightly constructed crime thriller that feels like a throwback in all the right ways.
Crowe plays Manco Kapak, an Eastern European immigrant who owns a Los Angeles nightclub. He’s ready to get out of the business, sell the club, and disappear with the love of his life, Sunny, played by Teresa Palmer. Unfortunately, leaving isn’t as simple as putting up a “For Sale” sign. Manco has also been laundering money for a local cartel, and when that money suddenly disappears, everyone’s plans begin unraveling at once.
Enter Aaron Paul.
Paul plays Jeff, a community college professor who finds himself robbing Manco in order to satisfy a dirty cop. If you’re expecting another Jesse Pinkman, that’s not what you get. Jeff is an ordinary guy trying to survive an impossible situation, and every decision he makes to solve one problem only creates two more. You understand why he keeps going, even as you know he’s digging himself into a deeper hole.
Then there’s Nina Dobrev, who may have been my favorite surprise in the entire movie.
Most audiences know her from The Vampire Diaries, but she gets to show a completely different side of herself here. She plays Carrie, a bank teller obsessed with adrenaline, Point Break, and making life as exciting as possible. She’s hilarious, unpredictable, more than a little unhinged, and somehow becomes one of the emotional anchors of the entire story.
I spent most of the movie trying to figure out whether I loved her character or thought she was completely out of her mind. By the end, I still wasn’t entirely sure, and I mean that as a compliment. She isn’t written as simply good or bad. Like everyone else in the film, she’s operating under her own moral code, and that complexity is what makes her so much fun to watch.
That’s really the strength of The Get Out. Every character has understandable motivations. Nobody feels like they’re making decisions simply because the plot requires them to. Instead, their choices naturally push the story forward until every thread begins weaving together into a finale that’s both surprising and satisfying.
Borte and co-writer Daniel Forte deserve a lot of credit for that. Their adaptation of Thomas Perry’s novel never feels overcomplicated, despite juggling multiple storylines at once. Everything moves at a brisk pace, the dialogue has personality, and the movie trusts its audience enough to let the pieces come together without constantly explaining itself.
Russell Crowe continues what has become one of my favorite phases of his career. Ever since The Nice Guys, he’s leaned into playing these grizzled, weathered men who carry far more wisdom and humanity than they initially let on. Manco could have easily become a one-note crime boss, but Crowe gives him warmth, humor, and enough vulnerability that you genuinely want to see him escape this life.
It’s also worth mentioning that although the movie is set in Los Angeles, Crowe makes the world feel authentic. His performance grounds everything around him and makes the city feel lived in, even if much of the production was actually filmed in Australia.
One thing I appreciated most about The Get Out is that it knows exactly what it wants to be. In an era where so many stories are stretched into eight-hour streaming seasons or two-and-a-half-hour blockbusters, there’s something refreshing about a movie that tells a complete story in just over 100 minutes. It doesn’t waste your time, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and when it’s over you’re left wishing you could spend another adventure with these characters instead of wondering when the credits are finally going to roll.
Maybe that’s why I enjoyed it as much as I did.
It reminded me that this really is my favorite kind of story. A crime thriller filled with interesting people, intersecting lives, sharp dialogue, unexpected humor, and enough twists to keep me guessing until the very end.
If that sounds like your kind of movie, The Get Out is definitely one to get to.
