Rico's Thoughts - Us
"They look exactly like us. They think like us. They know where we are. We need to move and keep moving. They won't stop until they kill us... or we kill them."
Jordan Peele's follow-up to the cultural phenomenon Get Out is a satisfying and ambitious piece of horror, even if it can't match the highs of it's predecessor.
While on a family vacation to a beach town, Peele showcases a family that is tortured by a bizarro version of themselves. The actors in the movie are all playing doubles of themselves but none make as big of an impact as Lupita Nyong'o's Adelaide, who also plays the doppelganger named Red. The physical transformation of the character is astounding to watch. Haunting and chilling, Nyong'o created a terrifying character that you begin to sympathize for.
Winston Duke brings the reprieve of humor, full of dad jokes, that is a welcome relief in such tense moments. the children of the film, played by Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex, bring their own sense of terror, with the former being a sinister hunting machine and the latter a mimic that can send chills down your spine.
Audiences will no doubt be looking for the symbolism located throughout the film, whether it's the red jumpsuits or the golden scissors that have been a heavy part of the marketing. Many of these these items carry multiple meanings and you wouldn't be wrong. Peele has a made a film that is interested in making you think and have conversations. The horror is just the vehicle. The larger conversation involves the fun-house mirror twins the characters interact with and what purpose do they serve to the story and to us as an audience.
Peele has quickly become an auteur that has to be watched and discussed. The ideas that were set in Get Out were about the culture and systemic issues we with in. Us turns the lens on ourselves and the impact we make. Or does it?
People will leave the theater with questions that may not have answers. That's not a bad thing. Movies can take the opportunity for a larger discussion, as opposed to whether you thought a scene was really cool to see. If you believe that the doppelgangers in Us are a symbolism to what we are to ourselves, you wouldn't be wrong. Don't let that be your only thought because there is always more below the surface.
4/5 Stars
For more on Us, listen to our podcast episode here.