Filmmaker Jordan Peele creates fascinating characters who add to the draw of his fantastic horror movies, so when actor Daniel Kaluuya teased character details about Peele's upcoming film Nope, it generated a lot of buzz. Though Peele's central characters are often deep and relatable, they can be just as compelling for their evil.
This makes it all the more difficult to determine which characters deserve to be known as the best in his previous movies but, luckily, it was put up to vote for the movie fans of Ranker. The poll produced some surprising results that will be interesting to fans of Get Out and Us.
Note: Ranker lists are fan-voted, live, and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Adelaide Wilson (Us)
From her first introduction as an adult in Us, it's obvious that Adelaide is still deeply affected by her memory of encountering her own doppelgänger as a child. Thanks to some fantastic acting by Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o, her emotional turmoil comes across hauntingly well throughout the movie.
She shows inner strength after she rallies in response to the Tethered attack and that makes her immediately more likable to the audience. It is the shocking final twist that redefines her as a character, though, making her a more interesting character to some but a less likable one to others, leading to her middling place in the poll.
Georgina (Get Out)
One of the most beautifully disconcerting characters of Get Out, Georgina is the Armitage family's black housekeeper, though the chillingly creepy manner she talks to Chris immediately makes it clear that something about her isn't right. Her odd manner makes her far from likable but it does make her fascinating to watch.
Get Out is an extremely rewatchable movie and details like the way Georgina reacts to Chris' comment that he gets nervous around too many white people are a big part of that, suddenly adding a whole new meaning to the entire moment. It's that underlying meaning to everything she says that makes her a compelling choice.
Andre Logan King (Get Out)
When he introduces himself as Logan King despite being very clearly Andre Hayworth, a person who disappeared six months before, it immediately becomes clear something isn't right. Of course, the audience doesn't actually get to see much of the real Andre as it's very much Logan in control.
At least, that's the case until Chris accidentally causes his phone camera to flash at the man, leading to the chilling moment when Andre's entire face changes and he screams at the other man to escape while he can. The massive contrast between the character depending on who is in control is what makes him such an interesting, and for some, amazing character.
Pluto (Us)
Even amongst the Tethered, Pluto stands out immediately with the creepy white mask he wears that wouldn't be out of place in a slasher movie. Along with his love of fire, it makes for a terrifying character made even more so by Jason's reaction when meeting his double for the first time.
Though not everyone appreciated the ending of Us, there's no doubt that it had some incredible moments and this includes Pluto's final confrontation as Jason figures out a clever way to beat him. Not many of the Tethered had as big of an impact as Pluto and that's why he was a popular choice.
Gabe Wilson (Us)
The husband of Adelaide, the very sensible Gabe has his world turned upside down when is forced to contend with not just the fact that the mysterious memories haunting his wife are true but also that they're about to enter his own life in an extremely violent way. Played by Winston Duke, best known for playing M'Baku in the MCU, Gabe makes for the perfect foil to the bizarre events of Us.
Whilst he is a likable on-screen presence, a relatable contrast to a world gone crazy, it does also mean that after his triumphant moment of killing Abraham, he doesn't have much to do, with Adelaide having a more interesting arc. His enjoyable presence was more than enough for a lot of fans though, meaning he ended up scoring well.
Young Adelaide (Us)
Played incredibly well by such a young actor in the form of Madison Curry, the younger version of Adelaide manages to make as much of an impression as her older self despite her much shorter screentime. Whilst Lupita Nyong'o's take on the characters of Adelaide and Red is considered one of the best horror performances, Curry achieving a similar feat with the two younger characters is equally impressive.
Of course, the character of Adelaide itself is a big part of what makes the performance great, as a young girl genuinely disturbed by encountering someone who looks exactly identical to her in the hall of mirrors. Her lack of screen time meant the viewer couldn't get a fully fleshed-out picture of the character, but she's at least one that nobody could dislike.
Chris Washington (Get Out)
Daniel Kaluuya has played some incredible roles in his career, and he's likely to add to that when he stars in the upcoming Nope, but his turn as Chris Washington stands out as he managed to nail a character that made for the perfect horror movie protagonist. In the bizarre world of the Armitages, Chris is needed to share in the audience's growing apprehension and eventual horror.
A photographer, Chris is hesitant to meet Rose's family at all until she assures him that they're not racist. As things continue, the character is caught between trying to work out what's going on out of morbid fascination and a self-preservation instinct that tells him to run far away. This resonated with a lot of fans and won the character a lot of popularity.
Zora Wilson (Us)
Though Zora Wilson is a great character, it's surprising that she proved such a popular choice, beating out the entire rest of the Wilson family despite not having that much to do. She does have some moments that set her apart and help to explain her high position, however, including an early one when she's told to run from her sadistic doppelgänger and immediately does so without looking back.
Considering the horror movie trope of characters sticking around for way too long after it's clear the danger they're in, this may have instantly won over some fans for Zora. Ultimately, though, it's likely the fact Shahadi Wright Joseph was able to so effectively convey a child hopelessly scared in a situation far out of control that meant no one could dislike the character.
Rod Williams (Get Out)
If Get Out has a hero, which is a pretty big "if" considering how bleak and uncomfortable a movie it is, then that hero would be Rod Williams. Played by actor and comedian Lil Rel Howery, Rod is Chris' TSA agent best friend and the phone conversations between the two are some of the funniest parts of the movie.
Of course, what really made the character so special is that, in the end, it's Rod who saves Chris from the nightmarish situation he finds himself in, even dropping a debatably cool one-liner at the end, "consider it handled" in the style of an action movie hero. It's no surprise that this worked well with a lot of the movie's fans.
Red (Us)
It's obvious from her introduction that Red isn't quite like the other Tethered, with her ability to talk, albeit in a raspy voice, immediately making her seem like something of a leader of the group. Ultimately, this turns out to be more true than anyone could have imagined, as it becomes clear that Red is the orchestrator of the Tethered uprising.
Her interactions with Adelaide are darkly compelling all the way through, and the final twist only hammers home that Red didn't quite seem like the completely evil horror movie antagonist she should have been. No Jordan Peele character has enchanted fans more than Red.