Year: 2019
Director: Jordan Peele
Country: US
Language: English
Jordan Peele's (Key & Peele) debut feature Get Out was a massive critical and commercial success when it hit theatres in 2017. Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and winning Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, Peele's second feature would undoubtedly have a lot to live up to. Cut to 2019 and Us has promised to haunt audiences worldwise. Would it be as successful?
The Wilson family takes a vacation to Santa Cruz, California with the plan of spending time with their friends, the Tyler family. That night, four mysterious people break into Adelaide's childhood home where they're staying. The family is shocked to find out that the intruders look like them.
Jordan Peele is clearly a fan of Twilight Zone and The Simpsons. Us feels clearly inspired by the doppleganger Twilight Zone story that aired in 1960 called Mirror Image. In addition, there are inspirations the Treehouse of Horror story The Thing and I, wherin Bart finds out he has an evil twin named Hugo. He re-invents these stories in fun and exciting ways however; often pushing the boundaries between horror, comedy and non-sensical surrealism.
Us is a film that gets simultaneously better and worse the more one thinks about it. The plot can be frustrating, as this film requires a great suspension of disbelief, but ultimately the story is a great metaphor for classism in America. Us is multi-layered and part of the fun is pondering what is REALLY is about.
Us is a very different horror movie compared to others made in the 2010's. While it is visceral and violent, it is also quite clever and comical. Where else can you see people being murdered by themselves to NWA's Fuck the Police? Also, I give praise to the cast for playing their own doppleganger. One forgets that Nyong'o is playing both Adelaide and Red because of how great her acting is.
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