Remember the first time you met your boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse’s parents? A bit nerve-wracking wasn’t it? I hear you; though I doubt any one of us has a “meet the parents” comparable to the experience of Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) in “Get Out.”

Written and directed by Jordan Peele, this film is destined to become a classic in the horror/mystery genre. The film starts out on a dark night in a middle class neighborhood. A black man is walking down the street talking to someone on his cell. A car begins to trail behind  him. “Run Rabbit Run” escapes from the inside of the car as the door opens. The black man turns to run ... 

Moving on ... Chris is going with girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) to her parents’ house - for the weekend no less - far more intense than a three-hour supper … Chris is concerned because Rose hasn’t told her parents that she’s dating a black man. Might be a nice heads up kinda thing to do. Rose reassures him by saying if her family was racist she would never bring him there. Chris’ friend Rod is a  Transportation Security Administration agent, who will be taking care of Chris’ adorable dog while he’s gone. Rod, from the get go thinks a. Chris shouldn’t be going, b. that the Armitage family not knowing he’s black is a bad thing, and c. Chris shouldn’t go.

On the drive up a deer darts out in front of the car – unnerving both of them. And the cop sent to answer their report of the accident insists on seeing Chris’ I.D. — even after Rose says she was driving. After standing strong about the cop not having any reason to check Chris’ identification, they continue on their way. Chris remains quite shaken.

The first person Chris sees is the family’s black gardener, Walter (Marcus Henderson), taking care of the grounds. He smiles at the couple as they drive by on the way to the house. Chris, a photographer, pays attention to details — like that smile for starters. There’s something a bit creepy about it.

Missy and Dean Armitage (Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford) greet the couple warmly on the porch and the four head inside. Dean is a surgeon and Missy a hypnotist. After a rather stilted first conversation, in which Dean asks questions like how long their “thang” has been going on the couple heads upstairs before dinner.

Chris meets Rose’s brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones) who’s come home from medical school and the family dinner begins — served by the family’s black maid, Georgina (Betty Gabriel), pleasant … but also with that creepy smile ...

The creep factor continues that evening …

Chris goes outside to have a cigarette and is almost steamrolled by the gardener running at a fierce speed ...

Rose’s mother doesn’t like Chris smoking around her baby. Perhaps he should let her help him with his habit through hypnosis Missy suggests … as she stirs her tea …

The next day is a big celebration for Rose’s grandfather. Innumerable black limos climb the long driveway dropping off some interesting people … there’s the blind art dealer, the friend who tells Chris “black is in” … the one other black man at the event who wears dapper clothes and that creepy smile …

The masterful layering of mystery and horror elements make for one hell of a night’s entertainment. The performances are first rate, as is this film, which makes observations about racism, liberals who aren’t as liberal as they think they are, and, well, let’s face it; it’s the 21st century and there are many who still do not grasp the fact that we are all one race - the human race. (OK, a bit of editorializing at the end there ...)

“Get Out” (with a 99 percent thumbs up rating by Rotten Tomatoes) is playing at The Harbor Theatre in Boothbay Harbor at 7 p.m. tonight, Saturday, April 8, Wednesday, April 12 and Thursday, April 13 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 9.