Every year, horror movies saturate the market place. The movies range from big studio fare to low-budget straigh-to-streaming independent options. In the depth of material, it is hard to find unique voices with important things to say. Enter Jordan Peele and his sophomore effort, Us. Jordan Peele established himself as a quick-witted comedian alongside Keegan-Michael Key before breaking through horror barriers with the 2017 hit Get Out. Since the film’s release, Peele won an Oscar, became a go-to producer and will host of the upcoming Twilight Zone reboot. So, needless to say, expectations are high for his follow up. Has Peele hit a sophomore slump or is he head of the class? Let’s review.
A Closer Look at Us
In Us, the Wilson family head to the beach for a family vacation with friends. Due to a childhood scare, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) suffers from anxiety at the beach. But, her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) insists that it will be good for the family. Their first night in the house, a strange family appears in the drive. The family soon make their way into the house, revealing themselves to be identical dark version of the Wilson family. The family soon realize they’re in far greater danger than they could have imagined.
Us stems from a long line of home invasion thrillers, echoing and referencing Funny Games, The Strangers, Home Alone and more. Peele adds to this with the addition of the doppelgänger. The doppelgänger idea traces back through literature and history, and ties into the idea of a double self. The word invokes ideas of evil twins, shadowy figures and ethereal circumstances—which Peele plays with to great effect. The Wilson family doubles look like them, move like them while also twisting shared character strengths to darker intentions.
For this to work in any feasible manner, a movie needs a strong cast—and the movie doesn’t falter here. Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke are the head of the household, while Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex play the offspring. Each performer plays a dual role, but none have the meat or depth of the Adelaide/Red dual-performance that Nyong’o tackles. Nyong’o delivers two drastically different performances while still bringing raw emotion to the forefront. Nyongo’o faces off with herself for long periods of time, sharing both quiet, subdued moments with herself as well as very physically demanding scenes. It’s a wonder to watch her.
The rest of the cast is no slouch. Winston Duke continues to roll strong following a break-out performance in last year’s Black Panther. The giant of a man plays dorky dad with ease—dabbing on his children to rolled eyes and sighs. Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker get a few small moments to shine as the family friends who meet up with the Wilson clan. And, Joseph and Alex are both talented children who get to go all out in their dual roles.
Peele has proven himself to be an intricate writer and director. However, he really ups the ante with Us. The film is complex and layered in new and exciting ways—challenging the viewer on a number of levels, narratively, structurally and thematically. Us is a puzzlebox that wears its symbols on its sleeves challenging you to believe you know what it is about. Having been two days since my screening, I still find myself thinking about the events and having “aha!” moments.
Tonally, it skirts a fine line. It infuses horror with absurdity, surrealism and comedy in ways that could have completely derailed the entire effort. It took me about an hour before I finally tuned in to what I think Peele was going for—after that point I was all in. Which was good, because that was the point where the film shifted into a different gear. Just like Get Out, Peele’s newest effort has layers. I’m still not sure I can speak to much of it with certainty as the “aha” moments continue to make me slap my forehead and understand new elements and hidden passages. It’s fun. It’s challenging. It’s exciting.
Us is ambitious and daring and complex. Early on, we see the obvious symbols, which should guide our understanding of the film. But, it is the other images that we’re shown which have the more interesting implications. Every frame, every piece of this film is intentional. The set design, props, costuming and mise-en-scène all give vital clues and information to set up the narrative direction. It’s very exacting, very pointed and very purposeful. Peele doesn’t leave anything to chance, and is guiding you the whole way.
Some viewers might see a breakdown in the third act. There are moments of extending exposition that could be off putting. I get it. But, I think it’s dressed up well enough here to work. The ending, on the other hand, will be make it or break it for many audience goers. I love it. It is just another reason to make this film so rewatchable. Much like a roller coaster, once it was over, I was ready to go again. That isn’t an experience I have often, Cabin in the Woods might have been the last film that made me feel that way.
I expect Us will do very well this weekend. The promotional screening was packed, with people being turned away. It should open strong, and I think critical consensus will be very positive. But, I’m more interested to see how general audiences react. Us is fun, frightening, but it has things to say. It just doesn’t lay them out there in obvious ways. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or…
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Arthur is a creator of content, lover of movies, and father of dogs. If you want to keep the conversation going, then click here to follow Arthur on Twitter. If you would like to keep up with what Arthur is watching, then head over to Letterboxd and give him a follow!
