Us is directed by Jordan Peele and stars Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke.
Horror/Thriller. Released 2019.
Us follows Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) who, with her family, goes on a trip to Santa Cruz where they have a holiday home, but their family trip is disrupted by a group of doppelgängers who invade their home and terrorise them.
Get Out was a tremendous and - almost monumental - directorial debut from Jordan Peele with it garnering so much critical acclaim and insanely huge box office for a film of its $4million budget, so naturally, he had a lot to live up to. However, in my opinion, he tops his previous work, and after extensive thought and hours of analysis, I think Us has the right to be called a modern horror masterpiece. With very minimal influence, it is an incredibly original concept and absolutely does not fall into the tropes you would expect to find in a horror film - this is not a Stephen King adaptation, or a film from the Conjuring universe. It's completely original.
Jordan Peele's direction strengthens here when in comparison to Get Out - the scope is wider and it is just all round more cinematic, with incredibly compelling visual ideas and motifs which make the film instantly recognisable and distinctive. There's are some comedic moments, but never too many to make it feel like a horror comedy - it still feels very much like a horror thanks to the atmosphere and world Peele establishes.
Lupita Nyong'o, in my opinion, gives a performance even stronger than her Oscar-winning role in 12 Years A Slave - a performance tough to beat - by playing two roles in one film, wildly different from one another. At first, I thought her role of Adelaide was incredibly gritty and raw, but at some points a little bit overdone. However, upon second viewing, with the knowledge that you didn't have when watching it the first time, Nyong'o's performance as Adelaide makes more sense and you appreciate it more. Where Nyong'o really shines though, is when she is playing the character of Red. Her physicality combined with her strained yet bellowing voice really makes for an utterly terrifying character. I don't think I will ever forget that laugh (if you've seen the film, you know what I mean). The character of Red is, also, quite devastating.
The supporting cast is solid - Winston Duke is effective in his comedic relief, and brings heart to the film which, with Adelaide being so wrapped up in her fears, Nyong'o is unable to do (which is no fault). I had expected Elisabeth Moss to have played a bigger role, as evidenced by my premature prediction that she would be nominated for Best Supporting Actress during next year's awards season. Her role was minimal, but definitely memorable within the context of the film. Her performance reminded me a lot of Reese Witherspoon in Big Little Lies. Shahadi Wright and Evan Alex are really great - the character of Umbrae was also quite terrifying, and Pluto/Jason carries quite an emotional weight in the film; Evan Alex's characters still leave me with many questions and theories.
This is a genuinely thrilling film, with the lingering scares being even more effective than the jump scares, which are all earned. This film has such a strong visual flavour, and as well as stylistically, this Jordan Peele weaves social commentary throughout the film in a much more covert fashion than he did in Get Out, which I believe to be more effective, and the way in which he does this is so smart, with symbolism everywhere you look, but it doesn't resonate if you don't look into it further.
For those looking for a two-dimensional horror film with good scares and a fun time, they will get that, but for those looking for a masterful social commentary with complex themes and symbolism, they will get that too. This film works on so many different levels, and again, I feel comfortable enough now to call it a masterpiece.
Lupita Nyong'o, in my opinion, gives a performance even stronger than her Oscar-winning role in 12 Years A Slave - a performance tough to beat - by playing two roles in one film, wildly different from one another. At first, I thought her role of Adelaide was incredibly gritty and raw, but at some points a little bit overdone. However, upon second viewing, with the knowledge that you didn't have when watching it the first time, Nyong'o's performance as Adelaide makes more sense and you appreciate it more. Where Nyong'o really shines though, is when she is playing the character of Red. Her physicality combined with her strained yet bellowing voice really makes for an utterly terrifying character. I don't think I will ever forget that laugh (if you've seen the film, you know what I mean). The character of Red is, also, quite devastating.
The supporting cast is solid - Winston Duke is effective in his comedic relief, and brings heart to the film which, with Adelaide being so wrapped up in her fears, Nyong'o is unable to do (which is no fault). I had expected Elisabeth Moss to have played a bigger role, as evidenced by my premature prediction that she would be nominated for Best Supporting Actress during next year's awards season. Her role was minimal, but definitely memorable within the context of the film. Her performance reminded me a lot of Reese Witherspoon in Big Little Lies. Shahadi Wright and Evan Alex are really great - the character of Umbrae was also quite terrifying, and Pluto/Jason carries quite an emotional weight in the film; Evan Alex's characters still leave me with many questions and theories.
This is a genuinely thrilling film, with the lingering scares being even more effective than the jump scares, which are all earned. This film has such a strong visual flavour, and as well as stylistically, this Jordan Peele weaves social commentary throughout the film in a much more covert fashion than he did in Get Out, which I believe to be more effective, and the way in which he does this is so smart, with symbolism everywhere you look, but it doesn't resonate if you don't look into it further.
For those looking for a two-dimensional horror film with good scares and a fun time, they will get that, but for those looking for a masterful social commentary with complex themes and symbolism, they will get that too. This film works on so many different levels, and again, I feel comfortable enough now to call it a masterpiece.
After just two films, Jordan Peele will be a name I will unconditionally get excited about. He has established himself as a true auteur, as well as someone who can generate a dialogue about what his films really mean. This could quite possibly be one of the best-executed horror films I have ever seen.
A+
A+
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