Us

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker

Director: Jordan Peele

After suffering a traumatic childhood experience on the Santa Cruz pier, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o), along with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and children Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex) return to the area to visit their summer house. Soon, the family finds their home overrun and their lives threatened by violent doppelgängers with sinister intentions.

*SOME MILD SPOILERS DISCUSSED AHEAD*

To compare Us, Peele’s ambitious sophomore film, to Get Out would be a disservice. Both films stand on their own as unique and original horror offerings that share the same director. Jordan Peele has upped his game as a storyteller, both writing and visual, and is once again at his best, holding a mirror up to society.

In my post viewing reflection, I’ve been lamenting how “predictable” the third act twist was. Now that I have had some time, I don’t think it’s as big of a deal as many may make it out to be and saying so is a disservice to the film because I don’t think Peele was ever really trying to hide it. Instead, he uses it as an entryway to fuel discussion about such lofty themes as nature vs. nurture as well as what defines a soul. It’s some pretty heavy stuff that I admittedly need a few more viewings to fully grasp some of the ideas that were presented in the film. Which brings me to the ultimate compliment any film can have, rewatchability. This film has this by the boatload, as Peele has written an incredibly layered film. With its Twilight Zone-esqe feel, unrelenting suspense, and willingness to be open to interpretation, this is a film that will be in our collective conscious for a long time.

Stepping away from some of the heavier themes, the film nails the horror aspects. Once the doppelgängers show up, the tension is incredible and features at least two home invasion scenes that left me speechless. He clearly has the knowledge of the genre and considerable talent to create such a white knuckle atmosphere. He also uses music, both score and a couple popular tunes, to great effect. It all culminates in a final showdown between Adelaide and her doppelgänger, which is a beauty to behold. Many directors could take a lesson from what Peele accomplished here. The acting is uniformly excellent across the board, the standout being Lupita Nyong’o. While all the actors have dual roles, hers has incredible depth and she really nails the little, compelling details that matter. While the family does occasionally make horror movie decisions, you really are rooting for them to survive. I had high expectations for the film, not only as Peele’s follow up for Get Out but because it had one of the better trailers I’ve seen for a long time. While your reaction to the end will vary, I guarantee you’ll be talking about it on the ride home. I eagerly await what Peele is going to tackle next. A+