Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out has been named as the “greatest” screenplay of the 21st century so far.
On Monday (6 December), Writers Guild of America West (WGA) revealed its list of “101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st century (so far)” in which Get Out earned the top spot.
WGA is a union that represents Hollywood’s screenwriters. They said in a press release: “As the number one vote-getter, Get Out is this list’s version of Casablanca.”
“Imagine Jordan Peele pitching his concept to Jack Warner, and it immediately becomes apparent why comparing screenplays across Hollywood epochs is a non-starter.”
Get Out is an American horror film that was released on 24 February 2017. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, LaKeith Stanfield, and Catherine Keener.
The film – which has also been called a social thriller – follows Chris Washington (Kaluuya), a young Black man who uncovers shocking secrets when he meets the family of his girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Williams).
The film was a massive commercial success. It grossed $255m (£191m) worldwide on a $4.5m (£3.38m) budget, with a net profit of $124.8m (£93.3m), making it the tenth-most profitable film of 2017.
Peele won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Get Out at the 90th Academy Awards, with additional nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Kaluuya.
Get Out also earned five nominations at the 23rd Critics’ Choice Awards, two at the 75th Golden Globe Awards, and an additional two nods at the 71st British Academy Film Awards.
Other top screenplays on WGA’s list include 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2010’s The Social Network, 2019’s Parasite, and 2016’s Moonlight.
