'Get Out' Tops Empire's List Of The Best Films Of 2017

The first film is a tricky thing for any budding director to pull off to a passable standard, so it's impressive when one turns up that has critics and moviegoers alike falling out of the cinema on opening night, unable to keep their mouths shut for the awestruck spewing of praise.

Credit: Universal Pictures

Nevertheless, that's exactly what Jordan Peele managed to do with the release of his critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning directorial debut, Get Out.

Now, and with awards already pouring out of its proverbial arse, Get Out has been bestowed with one of the biggest honours in movie journalism, topping Empire's annual Top Ten Films list.

Credit: Universal Pictures

The announcement came on Wednesday afternoon when the esteemed movie magazine posted the news on its website.

The revelation, which will no doubt leave horror fans jumping for joy, was accompanied by a message that read:

"It's fair to say that we've been spoiled by the cinematic gods this year. La La Land and Moonlight started 2017 with a bang, with The Disaster Artist (released after this list was compiled) and Call Me By Your Name bringing the year to a close. And we still have The Last Jedi to come!

"But it's Jordan Peele's timely, unsettling satire Get Out that takes Empire's top spot this year."

Credit: Universal Pictures

The gripping 2017 masterpiece takes the horror movie genre and all its tropes, uproots everything and rebuilds it as a racial satire, taking a sideways look at the mindset of middle-class America.

The movie, which was produced by Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions - a company currently leading the way in Hollywood horror - snapped up first place, beating other acclaimed titles such as La La Land, Blade Runner 2049 and Moonlight to pole position.

However, Get Out was not the first horror movie to confront the issues of race and oppression. Following the assassination of the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, Night Of The Living Dead resonated with audiences, presenting a black man's torment at the hands of a mob of white zombies, before vigilante law enforcement eventually kills him.

Credit: Universal Pictures

Speaking to the Guardian about why he chose to work in the horror genre, Get Out director Peele said: "The reason they [horror films] work, why they get primal, audible reactions from us is because they allow us to purge our own fears and discomforts in a safe environment. It's like therapy.

"You deal with deep issues that are uncomfortable with the hope that there is a release."

Here is a rundown of the full list:

1. Get Out
2. Blade Runner 2049
3. La La Land
4. Moonlight
5. The Death Of Stalin
6. Dunkirk
7. God's Own Country
8. Logan
9. The Handmaiden
10. Call Me By Your Name

Words: Paddy Maddison

Featured Image Credit: Universal Pictures

Topics: TV and Film, get out

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman