“If you wanna get crazy, we can get crazy!” - Gabe Wilson
Us is the second motion picture from modern horror master Jordan Peele. It stars Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex. The film tells the story of the Wilsons, an African-American family who are on a vacation. When they are hanging out in their house one night, a family of doppelgangers comes and breaks into their home. And so begins another fantastic and twisty tale from Jordan Peele.
I am a huge fan of Peele’s previous film Get Out. With Us, he proves himself again. The direction in this film is masterful, and so is the writing. Peele can craft a smart, surprisingly funny and socially aware horror flick better than most modern horror directors can today. The story is deep, complex, and intricate, and makes you really think about the events you just witnessed. There are enough crazy twists in this movie to keep you invested, while also being believable. Some movies will get over the top with their twists, but with Us, you are able to be surprised with them while also not questioning their plausibility.
Something worth noting about Us, is that it pays to be observant. There are many tiny details that are really worth paying attention to. This is what makes it a fantastic film to go back and rewatch, to tie up all the loose ends that you may have been confused about the first time. Another thing I loved about this movie that I loved is that like Get Out, the film rewards your patience. There are some things that don’t make sense at first. The movie asks you to have patience, and put your faith in it for a pretty considerable amount of time, and then eventually comes back around and says “Okay, you’ve waited for an hour and a half, so let’s answer your questions”. Something also worth noting is that even at the end of the film, there is still some ambiguity. Most of your questions will be answered, but there are also questions that will be left unanswered, leaving you to speculate on what you think happened. This is a movie that, like Get Out, will be discussed for years to come.
The acting in this film is something to behold, especially on the part of Lupita Nyong’o, and Winston Duke. Nyong’o gives a riveting, emotion filled performance, that really reminded me of other fantastic female leading performances in horror films, such as Toni Collette’s performance in Hereditary, or Essie Davis’ role in The Babadook. Winston Duke gives a great performance here as Gabe, the father of the Wilson family. He had some really funny lines that reminded me of Lil Rel Howery in Get Out.
My favorite aspect of Us, is the brilliant use of music. The score is really enticing and creepy. And the use of classic hip-hop songs peppered throughout works to great effect. The music especially works wonders during a dance-like fight sequence, the opening credits, and during my favorite scene in the entire film. About that favorite scene of mine, I don’t want to spoil anything because it’s just so dang good, but it involves a white family hanging out in their house at night. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when you see the film. I guarantee it’ll blow your mind, just like it blew mine. It is also worth mentioning that the camerawork is particularly impressive.
Us is a perfect example of a great original horror film, and I left the theater thinking “we could really use more films like this one”. It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s creepy, and it makes you think. This is what I want in a horror movie, and I think Peele did a great job at giving fans of his work what they wanted, while also giving them things that they didn’t even know they wanted in the first place. My only problem that I have with Us is that towards the beginning, some of the dialogue was a bit forced, and there were also a few plot holes that I noticed towards the end too. Other than that, this movie was great. I would definitely recommend this film to fans of horror, or people who are just looking for a smart, well made movie.
Rating: R
Grade: A-
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