Double Trouble

Rating: 8/10 (23 March 2019)

GRADE: B
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A good thriller that has its share of scares and jumps, but also some leaps of logic.
JIM'S REVIEW: Remember that old Twilight Zone episode starring Inger Stevens as a woman alone on a road trip being terrorized by her doppelgÃ¤nger hitchhiker, a ghostly paranormal look-alike? Well, add more gore and suspense, multiple by four, and you have its updated and horrifying new clone by Jordan Peele, simply called Us.
Meet the Wilsons, a typical family on a family vacation at an upscale beach house for a fun-filled week that does not go as planned. One evening, sinister intruders arrive in their driveway and they look strangely similar, but with more evil in their souls. Soon it is a "them versus us" scenario in a life and death struggle with supernatural forces.
To say more about the plot would ruin the blood-spattered scares, of which there are many. The less you know, the better the enjoyment of this type of movie. (The film's basic concept reminded me of a lesser but still frightening film, The Strangers (2008). That film built suspense well but delivered an ultimately lackluster and unsatisfying ending. Us has more impact and social relevance, although it edges too "sharply" into the slasher film genre and does have some issues in its third act as well.)
Yes, this movie appears to be a standard horror film, with better production values, a strong cast, and skillful direction, but Mr. Peele has much more to say than that. He shows the darker side of the American family, with its wealthy 1% reaping society's rewards, oozing of both black and white privilege. This is a tense psychological study of our polarized nation, a physical battle against our avarice and ourselves, It is his view of America with all its class warfare purged with weapons of mass destruction.
As a director, Mr. Peele sets up his scenes with the most assured and expert touch. (Loved the opening sequence at the boardwalk and funhouse.) As a writer, he uses humor and satire to throw off the audience before the reveal. Where he doesn't always succeed is in his dense narrative and explanation of his plot structure. His film is brimming forth of intriguing ideas, not all of which are made clear when we get to the film's far-fetched ending. Mr. Peele's clever premise just does not hold up logically, even if his moviegoing audience is enjoying his macabre story with all its twists and turns.
But this is a minor quibble to his ability to create a satisfying horror film with genuine class. (Special mention goes out to cinematographer Mike Gioulakis for his atmospheric lens work. His dramatic light and shadows and use of deep reds and sterile whites gives the film its distinctive look. Michael Abel's music score helps greatly too.)
Mr. Peele wisely casts his film with actors that bring the necessary vulnerability to the family unit while doing double time as their deadly menacing counterparts most effectively. Winston Duke winningly plays Gabe Wilson, a likable cool dad (to mostly himself). Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex as his children, Zora and Jason, make a fine tag team and give strong natural performances. Elizabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker provide some comic and tense moments as their entitled friends. But it is Lupita Nyong'o's portrayal of a mother protecting her cubs that literally tethers the film with such gravitas and power. Watching her playing dual roles makes the film work so very well.
Us is a good solid thriller...not as strong as his debut film, Get Out, but certainly a worthy successor by a talented filmmaker.