'A terrific achievement in genre filmmaking'

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2019)

What happens when a relatively normal middle-class American family face off against their evil doppelgangers? Us, the second directorial effort from Jordan Peele, goes above and beyond in answering this question and may have very well set a new benchmark going forward for the Horror genre. This is a film that will be talked about for decades and I will be absolutely astonished if another Horror movie in 2019 comes anywhere close to emulating the creativity, skill and invention on show here.
The main narrative of Us introduces Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) and Gabe (Winston Duke) who take their two kids down to Santa Cruz, California for their summer vacation. Unbeknownst to the rest of her family, Adelaide is hiding a dark secret which links back to a traumatic experience as a child at Santa Cruz beach. The vacation takes a dark turn when one night the family of four face off against another family of evil doppelgangers.
From the very beginning I was immediately drawn to the family and formed an instant connection largely due to the terrific performances from Nyong'o and the instantly likeable Duke. Nyong'o will surely be nominated in the Best Actress category come next year's Academy Awards. She is simply terrific in a dual-role which is, surprisingly, her first as a lead. What's more, for me, Us was a film that was greatly improved by the post-movie experience theorising and analysing interpretations from fellow movie fans online. For some this may be considered trivial and unnecessary, but for me was one of the main reasons I loved this film so much.
As much as I felt that it was a spectacular showcase of Horror, Us still had several moments that missed the mark. Tonally, the film takes a while to really find its groove. By the end of the movie the problem had solved itself but watching initially felt jarring at times with comedic scenes dropped in seemingly out of nowhere. There are other scenes where the protagonists behave unrealistically given their dire circumstances. Upon reflection, however, and now knowing how the plot unfolds, I imagine that this will feel different upon a second viewing.
Unlike most Horror releases, Us is a movie that makes you think and theorise for days on end. Some movie-goers may be put off by this, but I honestly believe that the film can still be appreciated as a pure home-invasion style Horror flick. There are plenty of scares and laughs scattered throughout which are sure to grab the attention of even the most pessimistic viewer. Us is a terrific achievement in genre filmmaking and props to Jordan Peele who is now 2 out of 2 in his blooming filmmaking career. Technically speaking this is another major victory where he once again oversees a masterclass in cinematography, score, acting and direction. I cannot wait to see what this highly intelligent and imaginative director conjures up next.
FredOnFilm Movie Rating: A -
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