Tremendous Potential Gets Lost

Rating: 6/10 (23 March 2019)

I went into the movie with an open mind, looking forward to a good thriller/scare. US started out right on track, setting up the audience for something great. But as in all movies there is a fork in the road and US seems to have picked the wrong path. Unfortunately with each fork in the road the movie becomes more convoluted anf lost in its own mess.
First fork - the movie starts off on a great note with imtensity and setting up the audience. Then suddenly we started getting bits of light humor and a dose a thriller. At first, it was a nice touch but as the movie moved along it gets confusing. It was hard to tell if Peele was trying to make a legit horror/thriller in the vein of The Strangers or something more comedy driven like Shaun of The Dead. This strange state leads to a clumsy film in the end.
Second fork - when the family goes to their friends for help a similar horror scenero is occuring to their friends. Okay, unexpected and not sure why and now the audience is filled with more questions. In the right script, i can get it, here it gets even more lost.
Third fork - so we now have 2 families who have their idential look alikes attacking them. Naturally the 2nd family is taken out as well ad their copies and the first family decides to watch the news. Here we find out this is bigger than we thought because in East LA people are being stabbed for no reason by people dressed in red jumpsuits. The family decides to bug out and we see signs of destruction all over the sleepg community of Santa Cruz. Again, why? Whats going on? None of this fits together.
Fourth fork - the family ends up back to where it started at thw begging of the movie at the beach carnival. Its daylight, nobody around except for dead bodies and destruction and a line of these people copies holding hands similar to 1986's hands across America. Were dragged down into a maze tunnels and end up in a white hall with individual rooms and rabbits running loose from their cages. Fight breaks out and eventually we think its all over. The family piles into ambulance and starts driving away.
Fifth fork - as they are driving we are then thrown back to the past when the little girl meets here copy at the carnival on the beech. In a convoluted story we discover the girls were switched and the origional is help prisioner with all the other copies in a sanitarium like prison.
Confused? So is the movie. There are so many questions left that it takes away from any enjoyment the film had. Who or what were these idential copies? Why cant they speak but yet have creepy abilities to do strange body contortions. Whats up with the rabbits? And why is there a steange mix of humor and thriller?
Like i said, its not horrible but it leaves a very unsatisfied feeling with the confusing plot. Its almost like Peele wasnt sure which direction to go so he tackled them all.
Its a good movie but save it for a rental.