Us
Directed By: Jordan Peele
Grade: A-
I really wanted to talk about Jordan Peele’s new movie Us. So I’m going to split it here- the first part of this will be just a regular review what I thought of the movie. Then the second part spoilers.
Addie and her family are enjoying a summer vacation until one night a family of four attacks their home. Only it’s them. Seemingly the exact same people as Addie and her family. They’re carrying scissors and wearing red jumpsuits and things only get stranger and more horror movie from there.
The acting in the film is across the board excellent especially Lupita Nyong’o in two very different creepy twisty roles. Not only is she playing two characters she nails voice work, mannerisms and there’s a lot of physicality in both parts especially at the end. Another standout is Shahadi Wright Joseph as her daughter Zora.
Her Doppelgänger was also especially creepy and forceful. I didn’t even think it was the same actress at first though I knew better.
The film is very interesting. That sequence where the house is under attack was true edge of your seat stuff even if the rest of the movie was more unsettling and creepy than truly scary. (Unsettling and creepy stays with you more.) I was very what’s going on here the whole time trying to pick up any clues.
It also is seriously gory at points. Like especially if you hate throat slitting or any neck things like I do.
There’s some fun moments like Winston Duke enjoying himself on the boat and the gymnastic twins of doom. Also a nice terrifying moment when Addie realizes Addie knows where the spare key is.
Overall I enjoyed US. My expectations were a little high for this one and while like my friend said there are no holes that destroy the movie by any extent I definitely have some questions and some bits I think could have been explained a bit more.
Also liked the score here but I did in the trailers as well so that didn’t surprise me. It wasn’t overpowering but it had that element that kept you off kilter a bit.
Recommend: Yes. Although if you weren’t already planning to go to the theaters I don’t think this is necessarily a “must see it in the cinemas” film.
Spoilers Below!
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So of course we find out that the “clones” are descendants of an experiment living in underground tunnels attached as shadows to the people above they seemingly have no thought, no consciousness except for Addie’s shadow.
The girl wanders off from a boardwalk one night and meets her double in a fun house. At the end of the movie we find out that the double attacked and switched places with her and the Addie we thought was real was actually the shadow Addie.
So did it work?
Eh, it doesn’t not work. But like I said I immediately started with some questions. What had Addie been doing for all those years? Did she never try to get away? She definitely snapped but yet she planned a pretty massive event as it happens with the other shadow people and doesn’t seem to remember the switch. (Well she doesn’t reference it though she kept those handcuffs.) If the surface person has the control why did Addie seemingly not have free will? The double says there was something special about them
To be honest it also made me dislike Addie a because there’s some cold, calculating and cunning there.
Also it’s definitely bigger than the family it encompasses the whole town and it’s implied an even larger area than that. Which was cool but still my brain can’t help but go, “But what about? How?”
It could have worked if they hadn’t switched and it was just a childhood nightmare come true in the worst possible of ways. I think that was the other problem- the way it opens and the fact it keeps cutting away, going back and forth, you pretty much know what’s coming.
But it was still an interesting entertaining film and I love the fact that Jordan Peele aims big and doesn’t dumb stuff down. I’m looking forward to him bringing back to The Twilight Zone and whatever else he may do next.