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Two years ago, comedian/actor Jordan Peele transitioned to the world of directing with a little movie called Get Out. That satirical psychological horror film about the dark history of race relations in America went onto become a renowned cultural phenomenon that grossed $255 million worldwide on just a $4.5 mil budget and secured four Academy Award nominations including a win for Best Original Screenplay. Following up something that was nearly universally beloved inevitably puts a ton of pressure on that individual to repeat that success, especially when you consider that this intimidating hurdle is coming at the start of his filmmaking career. Well Peele proved he was up to this daunting challenge with his sophomore effort Us-a well-crafted exercise in suspense that would surely make the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and John Carpenter smile.
Us centers around the Wilsons (Lupita Ny'ongo, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex-all excellent in their dual roles). Upon arriving at their summer home in Santa Cruz, California expecting to enjoy a nice, relaxing week in the sun, Matriarch Adelaide (Ny'ongo), who endured a traumatic temporary separation from her parents on the Santa Cruz boardwalk as a child, starts to feel like something is off. Her fears are confirmed later that night when jumpsuit-clad, scissor-carrying doppelgangers of all four members of the family break into their house. Forced on the run, the Wilsons must use their wits to fight off an enemy that knows their every move.
By utilizing a premise that is simple yet cloaked in mystery, Us wastes very little time getting to the good shit. With some help from Michael Abels' intense synthesizer score and eerie cinematography from Mike Gioulakis, Peele establishes a level of palpable unease that lingers through every scene. The viability and savviness of their enemy makes a confrontation or death possible at any moment. Some beautifully deployed one-liners that offer up a moment of emotional release is honestly the closest Us comes to delivering relief from the pulse-pounding mania. Having such a prominent level of tension established so early and not waver as the story progresses makes the movie a whole lot of fun to watch.
Peele is such a student of horror that it was only a matter of time before his work fell into some of the negative trappings that seems to always plague the genre. Here, he gets initiated into the dreaded unsatisfying ending club with a wobbly final act that undermines some of the stellar craftsmanship on display in the rest of the film. As the revelations surrounding the origins/motives of the doppelgangers start to be revealed, gaps in logic to start to pile up and some key parts of the narrative start to collapse upon themselves. The answers Peele delivers left me questioning whether or not there even was a true villain in this movie and when the conflict in a story like this suddenly becomes muddy, it takes a bit of the excitement and purpose out of the proceedings.
As aggravated as I was with the climatic storytelling decisions,I still really enjoyed Us. While Peele might've broken the illusion that he was infallible here, he proved that he wasn't just a one-hit wonder behind the camera. He's a confident, smart and highly skilled filmmaker that understands the inner workings of the genre as well as anyone working in the industry today. Horror is lucky to have someone like Peele in a position of influence and given the box office success he's enjoyed on his first two projects, I'm thrilled that he'll continue to get funding to make whatever the hell he wants for the foreseeable future.
Us centers around the Wilsons (Lupita Ny'ongo, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex-all excellent in their dual roles). Upon arriving at their summer home in Santa Cruz, California expecting to enjoy a nice, relaxing week in the sun, Matriarch Adelaide (Ny'ongo), who endured a traumatic temporary separation from her parents on the Santa Cruz boardwalk as a child, starts to feel like something is off. Her fears are confirmed later that night when jumpsuit-clad, scissor-carrying doppelgangers of all four members of the family break into their house. Forced on the run, the Wilsons must use their wits to fight off an enemy that knows their every move.
By utilizing a premise that is simple yet cloaked in mystery, Us wastes very little time getting to the good shit. With some help from Michael Abels' intense synthesizer score and eerie cinematography from Mike Gioulakis, Peele establishes a level of palpable unease that lingers through every scene. The viability and savviness of their enemy makes a confrontation or death possible at any moment. Some beautifully deployed one-liners that offer up a moment of emotional release is honestly the closest Us comes to delivering relief from the pulse-pounding mania. Having such a prominent level of tension established so early and not waver as the story progresses makes the movie a whole lot of fun to watch.
Peele is such a student of horror that it was only a matter of time before his work fell into some of the negative trappings that seems to always plague the genre. Here, he gets initiated into the dreaded unsatisfying ending club with a wobbly final act that undermines some of the stellar craftsmanship on display in the rest of the film. As the revelations surrounding the origins/motives of the doppelgangers start to be revealed, gaps in logic to start to pile up and some key parts of the narrative start to collapse upon themselves. The answers Peele delivers left me questioning whether or not there even was a true villain in this movie and when the conflict in a story like this suddenly becomes muddy, it takes a bit of the excitement and purpose out of the proceedings.
As aggravated as I was with the climatic storytelling decisions,I still really enjoyed Us. While Peele might've broken the illusion that he was infallible here, he proved that he wasn't just a one-hit wonder behind the camera. He's a confident, smart and highly skilled filmmaker that understands the inner workings of the genre as well as anyone working in the industry today. Horror is lucky to have someone like Peele in a position of influence and given the box office success he's enjoyed on his first two projects, I'm thrilled that he'll continue to get funding to make whatever the hell he wants for the foreseeable future.
Grade: B+
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