Satisfyingly Creepy

Rating: 7/10 (6 June 2020)

An original horror film for a genre desperately in need of fresh ideas. By its very title, we are presented with an "Us vs Them" scenario in a clever way. Instead of nation vs nation, it is family vs family. And what makes them "Them" is their otherness. So similar it's frightening, yet so different it's creepy. We see it in the intruders' shared dress, mannerisms, beliefs and goals. They're like us on the surface, yes, but in a very odd, odd way that soon sends shivers down one's spine. Even their living quarters have a certain verisimilitude. But what makes it scary is not just the otherness, but the inventive way in which it's presented, the eerie atmosphere, stunning visual shots, and of course, the malevolence.
The real star is Lupita Nyong'o. The main, the one who, for both families, moves the story forward. She plays four characters really; heroine and villain times two. Her vocal work and expressions as intruder are unsettling.
The only really disappointing part was the origin story. The explanations were confusing, incomplete and detracted from the intensity of the film. It may have been better to either explain more fully or, better yet, for a horror film, remove the explanation altogether. Instead, we were left wading through a murky thought process that left us scratching our head. But perhaps the next viewer will make better sense of it all. It's certainly worth the trouble.