Phantom Thread (written by Paul Thomas Anderson) [151 points / 22 votes]
Second place:
Lady Bird (written by Greta Gerwig) [163 points / 25 votes]
And the winner is...
Get Out (written by Jordan Peele) [174 points / 27 votes]
“Jordan Peele’s screenplay for Get Out has much in common with its villainous characters. It hides in plain sight while simultaneously misleading the viewer. As events unfold, we start to question our own interpretations the same way Daniel Kaluuya’s Chris does. The blatantly sinister act that opens the film telegraphs its horror movie intentions, but until its big reveal, Get Out plays more like a psychological thriller whose mystery is whether Chris is overreacting to seemingly normal situations. It’s smart enough to account for the differing viewpoints of the audience: Black viewers familiar with the daily microaggressions that Peele piles on Chris like a thousand paper cuts may still question if Chris’ paranoia is completely founded. White viewers may see the Armitages’ clumsy attempts at welcoming Chris as mere cringe-worthy overcompensations.
“The key to both of these inaccurate reads is Rose. She’s embarrassed by her family’s initial meeting with Chris and she’s furious about the cop’s treatment of Chris. Peele presents her as an ally on the surface, but he slyly tips his hand to less than noble intentions in her first scene. When Chris asks her pointedly, ‘do your parents know I’m Black,’ she responds ‘should they?’ Everything she does in the first half of the film is meant to engender either guilt or confusion. It’s only upon a second viewing that we notice just how openly these clues are laid out in the screenplay.
“Even the symbols in Get Out have multiple intentions. The deer that Rose hits is an innocent victim and the catalyst for a rant by her father that sounds eerily like what racists say about minorities. Jesse Owens’ prowess becomes the vengeful motivation for the Armitages’ medical procedure. A blind art dealer, whose own skill set is impressive because it overcomes his disability, becomes Chris’ biggest fan and his worst nightmare. And good china and silverware, things normally associated with gentility, are revealed to be terrifying weapons of destruction.
“There’s a richness to Get Out’s screenplay that’s unusual for a genre film. Peele’s ideas are so cleverly and tightly woven into its structure that subsequent viewings always unveil something new. The script is an equal opportunity gaslighter that preys upon the race-based experiences and ideas of its viewers. But it milks true horror by forcing everyone to identify with the day-to-day societal aggravations Black people endure. The extremes to which Peele takes this are the hallmarks of great satire.
“If nothing else, Get Out cements ‘the sunken place’ in lexicon and culture; whenever it’s invoked in conversation, people will not only know where it is but also the type of person who is trapped in it. Not many screenplays can lay claim to such an achievement.” ~ Odie Henderson
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