intriguing but flawed

Rating: 7/10 (31 August 2019)

In 1986, a girl wanders away from her father in a carnival fair. She is shocked by a doppelganger. In the present day, the Wilson family is on vacation. They are shocked by their own doppelgangers wearing red overalls and armed with scissors.
I like the comedy when they happen. The horror isn't that horrific but it is intriguing. What I love most about the horror is its unknowable premise. That it is unknowable until the movie tries to let us know it. It's actually a lot more creepy when these unknown doppelgangers appear out of nowhere without explanations. The problem starts with the opening text. The knowledge of tunnels is unnecessary. It's a piece of a puzzle which is better left unsolved. The present day story should really end after the news report on the TV. It can then go back to 1986 for that surprise reveal but it's not necessary to try to explain the world beneath. I do like the final twist but it doesn't need more than that. Jordan Peele has a pretty good concept but it's not as clever as he thinks it is. That's why the harder he attempts to explain, the less interesting it is.