Would you sayGet Outhas the greatest screenplay of the past two decades? That’s the assertion that’s been put forth by the Writers Guild of America, which has crowned theJordan Peelemovie as having the best script of the 21st century. The reveal comes from the WGA’s list of the “101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century,” and while there are tons of amazing features included,Get Outcame out on top. Filling out the rest of the top five, in order, are Charlie Kaufman’sEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Aaron Sorkin’sThe Social Network, Bong Joon-Ho’sParasite, and the Coen Brothers’No Country for Old Men. All five movies in the top five have won screenwriting Oscars.
“As voted upon by the members of the Writers Guilds West and East, the list of the 101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (so far) is both a celebration of the great writers and screenplays of the last 21 years and a study of how writing for the screen has evolved and diversified since the 20th Century. Plus, it’s a great conversation — and argument — starter,” Aaron Mendelsohn, chair of WGAW’s Publicity & Marketing Committee, said in a statement.
Moonlight, another Oscar winner for Best Screenplay, trailed just behind the top 5 with a firm spot at number 6. This is followed by Paul Thomas Anderson’sThere Will Be Blood, Quentin Tarantino’sInglorious Basterds, Cameron Crowe’sAlmost Famous, and Christopher Nolan’sMemento. In total, Nolan wrote four screenplays that have made the list, with Memento joined byThe Dark Knight(No. 26), Inception (No. 37), and The Prestige (No. 82). Tarantino had three make the list, which also includesOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood(No. 22) andDjango Unchained(No. 74).
You’re never going to get everybody to agree on what really is the best of them all, but there’s definitely a good case to be made forGet Out. Because the script comes fromMadTVandKey and Peelecomedian Jordan Peele, expectations from horror fans weren’t exactly high, as this didn’t seem to be Peele’s area of expertise. StarringDaniel Kaluuya, the movie follows a young Black man who uncovers a shocking truth when meeting the family of his white girlfriend (Allison Williams). It was unlike anything else to be released before it and still stands out as one of the most memorable genre movies of the past 20 years.
Get Outwas also an instant hit. On a budget of less than $5 million, it raked in more than $255 million. Critics were also impressed with the widespread acclaim earningGet Outa near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes at 98% fresh. That’s a challenge for any release, but obtaining a score that high is especially difficult for horror movies. Along with its Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, the feature was also up for Best Picture, Best Actor for Kaluuya, and Best Director for Peele. Also, Jordan Peele fans should be aware thatNope, his third movie followingGet OutandUs, is on its way.
Congratulations to Jordan Peele and theGet Outteam for achieving this honor. This news comes to us fromDeadline.
