Jordan Peele’s acclaimed directorial debut, Get Out, has officially been named the “greatest” screenplay of the 21st century (so far).
Originally released in 2017, the horror comedy was lauded for its masterful metaphors and social commentary, winning Peele an Academy Award for best original screenplay. Daniel Kaluuya’s starring performance also earned him a best actor nomination, alongside Oscars nods for best picture and best director.
Now, Get Out has landed the number one spot on the Writers Guild of America (WGA) list of this century’s best screenplays, which was revealed yesterday (December 6).
In case you somehow missed it the first time around, the film follows Chris Washington (Kaluuya), a Black man who uncovers terrifying, supernatural secrets when he visits the racist family of his white girlfriend (played by Allison Williams).
Peele’s commentary on racism, microaggressions, and white American liberalism in Get Out was so influential that UCLA even devised a college course to help unpack it.
“As the number one vote-getter, Get Out is this list’s version of Casablanca,” WGA says of the ranking in a press release. However, the screenwriters’ union adds: “Imagine Jordan Peele pitching his concept to Jack Warner, and it immediately becomes apparent why comparing screenplays across Hollywood epochs is a non-starter.”
Also cracking the top 10 of WGA’s “101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st century (so far)” are Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, David Fincher’s The Social Network (written by Aaron Sorkin), Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, and Charlie Kaufman’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
View the full list here, and revisit Dazed’s interview with Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya here.