When I say “the Get Out cabal” I’m not talking about the critics who are crazy for Jordan Peele’s horror-thriller. If they want to call this modestly clever allegory about racial relations one of the year’s best, fine. Earlier today a Sight & Sound poll of 2017’s finest films had Get Out in the #1 slot…terrific.

Daniel Kaluha in Jordan Peele’s Get Out.

No, I’m talking about the editors of God-knows-how-many online film sites who’ve been using that same infuriating still of Get Out star Daniel Kaluya. You know the one I mean, doing his shocked-and-horrified thing. I’ve been looking at this photo since last February, and they won’t quit using it.

Kaluya is a handsome smoothie with eyes that are sly and sleepy-sexy (he almost has a Robert Mitchum thing going on) and, as Chris Washington, a look of settled confidence. But this photo couldn’t argue more strenuously with that vibe. And why is Kaluya crying? Who tears up when suburban demons are looking to turn you into a zombie? Would Steve McQueen cry if bad guys were trying to vacuum his mind?

I knew the Sight & Sound dweebs would give Ben and Josh Safdie‘s Good Time a high rating (#7 on a list of 25). HE nonethless approves of Call Me By Your Name occupying slot #3, Andrey Zvagintsev‘s Loveless in slot #8, and several other inclusions — Dunkirk (#9), The Florida Project (#10), A Ghost Story (#11), BPM (#12), Olivier Assayas‘ Personal Shopper (#13), Lady Bird (#19) and Darren Aronofsky‘s mother!, etc.