Us Review: Jordan Peele Nails This Ambitious, Brilliantly Realized Horror
Synopsis courtesy of IMDB.com: “A family's serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begins to terrorize them.”
Written, Directed and Produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out).
Starring Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Winston Duke (Black Panther) and Elisabeth Moss (The One I Love).
Us is rated R.
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
If you didn’t know who Jordan Peele was three years ago, fear not, you weren’t the only one. After the massive success of 2017’s Get Out, Jordan Peele not only became one of the hottest artists working in film, but the film itself has become a modern classic. Besides being intensely thrilling, Get Out told a scathing tale of injustice and oppression, a thoughtful approach sure to be utilized in subsequent films.
Where Get Out is more of a thriller, with elements of horror, Us dives headfirst into the genre, to chilling effect. The beginning of the film is littered with an uneasy sense of foreboding, which escalates into outright panic as it goes on. It is now a well-known technique in horror storytelling that you should never reveal your monster until the end, as our subconscious will create something far more fearsome than can be imagined by the filmmaker. This is not the case with Us. Each reveal served only to further engulf me with a dread so pervasive I can’t purge it from my waking (or sleeping) thoughts.
While the cast in general deserve praise for their stellar performances, I cannot say enough about Lupita Nyong’o. She plays Adelaide, the mother of the Wilson family, as well as her doppelgänger, Red. Nyong’o plays tremendously against herself, showcasing an incredible range. Her jaw-dropping performance takes this film to its most terrifying depths, and is possible the best work I have seen in years. Winston Duke also deserves credit for his part as Adelaide’s husband, Gabe, as he injects the film with a crisp sense of levity and humor.
Just like Get Out, Us has a lot to say about social issues in the United States. Get Out is certainly more succinct in its message, but Us takes a powerful swing at grandiose symbolism and knocks it out of the park. Admittedly, the entire film doesn’t always work on a literal level. Peele projects a level of confidence in his writing, as the film avoids becoming a lengthy explanation by asking the audience to accept the story for what it is. It is understandable why some will find this film too full of holes to truly enjoy, although I resent the idea that a film must always abide by rules we understand.
Us is a deeply layered film, one that I am sure will be talked about for years to come. In terms of a simple horror film, it is memorable and terrifying even when removed from its deeper message. The observations made by this film are both jarring and eye-opening, and this feels like another iconic film in the making. Us is a film that is almost too full of surprises to see just once, and it is one I am anxious to see over and over again. And, perhaps most importantly, this film proves that Jordan Peele has more than one trick up his sleeve, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.
Reel Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Us is now playing in cinemas.
