The nightmare is us

Rating: 8/10 (29 March 2019)

There is a whole recent rise of horror films that seeks a reflection beyond the scares and tricks that terrify the viewer. In essence, they remain classified as horror, but are quite different from the traditional formula of the genre. It is from there that appear films like "Hereditary" (2018) and "A quiet place" (2018).
Jordan Peele is responsible for two good works within the genre. "Get Out!" (2017) used horror to deal with racism in an approach that used science and the loss of identity at the service of a perverse story.
"Us", his latest film, uses similar elements of science from a question: what if we all had a wicked double coming out of the shadows to take our place? A double that lived in the underground the same life in which we live, but in a terrible and painful way, without being able to decide the destiny itself. What if this double decided to rebel? To leave the darkness to assume a place in which he sees to be also of his right. Is it possible to accept this act of revenge after a lifetime of pain?
It is from there that the family of Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) lives the biggest nightmare of his life. When the couple and their two children go on vacation at a beach house, she finds herself faced with a nightmare of the past. It was here, in that region, that Adelaide lost her parents and lived a macabre experience that definitely marked her.
It is not possible to advance much in the analysis without going into details of the story and, therefore, reveal important passages of the film. But we can summarize that the narrative created by Peele has a different power from simple clues played on the screen. The citation to the biblical passage from the book of Jeremiah, which addresses the inevitable arrival of evil to all people, is the first warning sign.
But how frightening it is to confront the most animalistic side of yourself is a message that permeates the film. The villains, the monsters, are ourselves. Without the brakes of life in society. Peele makes us face our worst materialized nightmares. And few things are as terrifying as that.
If "Get Out!" Had a somewhat rushed ending and with some problems, "Us" turned out to be somewhat predictable, whose events were moving to that moment since at least half the film. But still, how terrifying is this end, and how many reflections bring us from it.
"Us" is a step further in Peele's horror filmography. It is a film with layers that are unfolding every moment and beyond. And it's scary. But it is a fear that, beyond violence, comes from the philosophical and psychological reflection of what history shows us. At that point, Peele hit the mark.