Everyone is still buzzing from all of the backlash surrounding the category placement of social thriller Get Out for the Golden Globes.
After speaking about the matter earlier this week, Jordan Peele has also sent a statement to Deadline.
The most rewarding part of making “Get Out” is the conversations the film has inspired.
When I originally heard the idea of placing it in the comedy category it didn’t register to me as an issue. I missed it. There’s no category for social thriller. So what? I moved on.
I made this movie for the loyal black horror fans who have been underrepresented for years. When people began standing up for my voice, it meant a lot. “Get Out” doesn’t just belong to me any more, now it belongs to everyone.
The reason for the visceral response to this movie being called a comedy is that we are still living in a time in which African American cries for justice aren’t being taken seriously. It’s important to acknowledge that though there are funny moments, the systemic racism that the movie is about is very real. More than anything, it shows me that film can be a force for change. At the end of the day, call “Get Out” horror, comedy, drama, action or documentary, I don’t care. Whatever you call it, just know it’s our truth.
As we noted when we told you that news, the film probably has a better chance of winning awards (particularly for Daniel Kaluuya as Lead Actor) in the Comedy/Musical category as opposed to Drama.
Historically, horror films also typically have a difficult time fitting in for awards season categories. However, Golden Globes wins could heavily influence Oscar nominations (which have no category).
All of this controversy ensued when Entertainment Weekly reported that sources close to Blumhouse (the film’s studio) were deciding to enter the film in the comedy/musical category instead of a drama.