Movie Review: Us

Us

Director: Jordan Peele

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon

Rating: R

Runtime: 116 minutes

Us is the latest film written and directed by Jordan Peele, the comedian-turned-director who just two years ago released the instant classic Get Out. Get Out was easily my favorite film of 2017, with its amazing direction and outstanding performance by Daniel Kaluuya. Ever since seeing that film, I’ve been looking forward to any and all projects Peele decided to work on behind-the-camera. And with the casting of Lupita Nyong’o along with the phenomenal trailer released last Christmas, how could I not be excited for this new movie?

Us follows the Wilson family on vacation at their beach house that starts tranquil but quickly becomes terrifying. Adelaide (Nyong’o), along with her husband Gabe (Duke), and their two children Zora (Wright Joseph) and Jason (Alex) find themselves caught up in a nightmarish scenario as doppelgängers of themselves terrorize the family.

I think it’s important for everyone going into this movie to forget about Get Out while watching Us. People are going to go into Us expecting Get Out: Part 2 and, frankly, they’re going to leave disappointed in that case. While both are horror/thriller stories that star black characters actors, the subject matters and themes in both are so vastly dissimilar that comparing the two isn’t fair to either film. They’re both horror movies, yes, and while they may share some stylistic traits ultimately, they’re two different movies trying to tell two different stories with two different messages. Okay? Okay. Let’s talk about Us.

There’s a lot to like in this movie in my opinion, but for now let’s focus on my favorite parts. This movie has one of the best scores I’ve heard in a long, long time. Michael Abels, who was also the composer for Get Out (okay I know I said to forget that movie but bear with me) did an excellent job here with the music, and you definitely won’t be able to get his rendition of “I Got 5 On It” out of your head when you leave the theater. Besides the soundtrack, the overall directing in this film is incredible. The scenes are all shot well, especially the conflicts that take place indoors. The music and directing blend incredibly well in this film and create a strong tension that is present throughout most of the movie. This movie relies heavily on tension as well, since it’s not a particularly “scary” movie, but you will feel anxious as characters creep down hallways or around corners. Peele is excellent behind the camera, framing interesting shots that have tons of messages all throughout the scene.

The acting and writing in this movie are also pretty good. Nyong’o has never given a bad performance, and she continues the trend here playing two different roles expertly. Having her as the central character was a great idea because she carries the film with her performance. Alex and Wright Joseph are also good in the film, especially Wright Joseph, and I hope to see both in future films. I’ve heard that people found Duke’s performance to be too goofy or comical but, in my opinion, he played a great father character that stood in staunch contrast to the typically big-and-scary-black-male characters. Of course, I might be biased because he reminded me of my own dad… But regardless, I enjoyed his performance and felt that his humor added a good touch to the film. And as far as writing goes, Peele again gives us smart characters who react to dramatic and dangerous situations like rational humans who want to live rather than mindless sacrifices for the sake of a high body count at the end. It’s much easier to cheer for characters when they act as though they truly want to live.

There are plenty of negatives to the film, however. While I did appreciate the humor throughout the movie, I think that at times it may have been a little too excessive. I loved Duke’s character consistently being the comic relief, and the two siblings have plenty of humorous moments, but there’s a sequence between Heidecker and Duke’s characters on a boat that, while funny, feels extremely out of place in the context of the film. The other biggest flaw with the film, in my opinion, is the ending. No, I’m not going to spoil the ending for any of you. That wouldn’t be fair at all. But just in case, if you don’t want to feel ANY sort of opinion sway before you see the movie just skip to the next paragraph. There is a scene towards the end of the movie that spells out a big twist, and I felt like that scene sort of cheapens the experience in a way. I would have liked it if they had taken that scene out entirely and left the ending more ambiguous to keep audiences confused and left with more questions.

In summary, this is another great film by Jordan Peele. If Get Out and Us are any indicators of the rest of his directing career, I think we may have another modern genius on our hands who will redefine the horror genre.