by Jordan Peele’s Get Out was one of my favorite horror films released in the past few years. This former comedian showed that he had the grit to make a compelling thriller, and he did so with finesse and astonishingly good direction. Because of this I was more than hyped to watch his latest effort, Us, which was more focused around elements of the horror genre. It hit theaters, and I wasn’t about to wait until it was released on home video especially with how highly it was rated. Does Us deliver? Is it worthy of the universal acclaim it has received? Absolutely. Today we’re going to take an in depth look at it. Let’s begin.
Us starts out with a young girl Adelaide, who is spending her birthday playing carnival games with her parents on the boardwalk at Santa Cruz. As her parents begin arguing she wanders off to the beach and stumbles upon an ominous funhouse and goes inside. She quickly becomes disoriented because of the mirrors, and is fixated on her reflection. The problem here is that her mirror image is facing the wrong way, and it turns out to be a doppelgänger of herself.
Fast forward several years later. Adelaide is now an adult, married, and has two kids. The trauma of what happened in the funhouse still lingers in the back of her mind, and it’s brought front and center as her family vacations at Santa Cruz. She’s uncomfortable as they relax with friends on the beach near the funhouse she was lost in as a child, and goes into full panic mode when her own son disappears briefly. They return to their vacation home as the day ends. After nightfall the family sees another family standing in their driveway holding hands. Undeterred by their threats the new family assaults the home and takes our protagonists captive. The past is back to haunt Adelaide as she realizes this other family consists of near perfect copies of themselves, and they didn’t just stop in to say hi.
The first thing worth mentioning is Peele’s razor sharp direction. He is quickly proving to be a master here as not a single scene feels wasted. There’s always something important in every single scene, be it foreshadowing through the dialogue or use of specific imagery that’s relevant to the overarching story. The first half of the film does a wonderful job at introducing us to, and letting us get to know and care about the protagonists. They feel like a real family, and even the humor (though a little too heavy handed at times) mostly hits the mark. These are people you’ll care about almost instantly which makes their peril all the more real. I can’t compliment the direction and storytelling enough.
Keen direction and storytelling aside Us is still a very effective horror film. Though the antagonists are copies of the protagonists they still have a remarkably oppressive presence on-screen. Adelaide’s doppelgänger, Red, steals the show with hungry and savage eyes and a horrifyingly raspy voice. The children actors also do an amazing job. The teenage girl, played by Shahadi Wright Joseph, is particularly creepy with her crazy eyes and smile. It seemed like the little boy needed a little help so his doppelgänger was given a gnarled and burned face. It’s very effective. The weakest link is the father’s copycat, but he definitely serves his purpose. The weapon of choice for the killers here is ours of golden scissors, and it’s the symbolism behind them that makes them such a fitting tool.
If there’s one thing I would consider a drawback to Us it would have to be the last leg of the film. Peele must have realized he had to wrap up some of the questions the audience had, and so we have a long sequence wherein motives and background are explained to us by Red. That’s fine and dandy, but this scene is the only part of the film that I felt was too drawn out. The explanation behind the doppelgangers and their motives is a little less fantastical than I was hoping for, but it’s in these moments that keen observers are rewarded most through the foreshadowing and imagery. Why do the antagonists all wear red? Why are they all holding hands near the end of the film? This isn’t spelled out for the viewers, and is only solved through astute observation. This could lead some conventional horror fans scratching their heads. The key point is that you really need to pay attention from start to finish or else you could be lost. With that said I hung on every word and every scene, and was able to predict the huge shock ending fairly easily and I’m not the smartest guy around.
Despite following more traditional horror conventions Us feels almost as original as Get Out did. There’s nothing quite like it thematically, in terms of atmosphere, and the story hits on so many different levels it’s unlike the myriad of other modern horror releases. It also helps that Peele is such a fantastic director and his attention to detail is immaculate. Us might not be what most fans of the genre expect it to be, but it’s one of the very best horror films of this decade. If you haven’t seen it then I fully recommend catching this one while it’s still in the theaters. Do yourself a favor and pay close attention because there’s no way you’ll catch everything in one viewing.
Pros
- Amazing direction
- Involving story
- Likable characters
- Interesting twists
Cons
- Some of the humor doesn't always land
- Doesn't lend itself to a casual viewing
