Now I know how Malcolm McDowell felt in A Clockwork Orange, strapped to a chair with eyes clamped open, his only defence a Billy Connelly impersonation. But comedy won’t save Get Out.

Far too manicured, Jordan Peele’s writing and direction doesn’t have the strength of its own manipulations. All surface bubbles with no sea monster to pounce. Waiting on the deck we certainly do.

As an uncanny Danielle Petty face and eyes, Allison Williams appears to be lit from within. At first, she’s darkly charming. Yet why does her delivery, especially on lines as innocuous as “We’re here!” sound like something out of Poltergeist? Sadly her director only asks for two temperatures: hot and cold. As such, there’s rarely enough bite or burn to her reactions.

Daniel Kaluuya. Heavy sigh. Sorry mate, you got saddled with a stillborn script beneath your abilities. Oh, did I mention that Peele won an Academy Award for his “original” screenplay? Again… heavy sigh. (Capsule review)

(Released by Universal Pictures and rated “R” for violence, bloody images, and language including sexual references.)

For more information about Get Out, go to the IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes website.