Ultimately a underwhelming movie

Rating: 6/10 (3 June 2019)

It is impossible to deny that Jordan Peele is a gifted filmmaker. The cinematography is beautifully crafted, and certain shots make me think of Stanley Kubrick, especially The Shining. Peele certainly has a keen eye for visual elements that contribute to that particularly eerie mood required for films looking to conceive a spooky vibe. Lighting, setting and score all live up to the standard of more finicky moviegoers like myself. This indicates a certain level of artisanship that competes with more seasoned contemporary directors like Nolan and Fincher. So there is no doubt lurking within me that dares defy the notion that Peele is establishing himself as a creative force to be reckoned with. Nonetheless, Us does not go the whole nine yards. The intro masterfully guides the viewer into a suspenseful atmosphere, as a thriller should, but then never really capitalizes on that initial absorption. When the mirrored characters are introduced, you are briefly intrigued, but then they somehow fall flat. They are just not that interesting to watch and comes across as a horror cliché in their contortionist performance. The acting almost feels a bit awkward at certain moments and certainly not scary. Perhaps that never was the intended effect, to begin with, but then the grand twist is revealed and I feel astonishingly underwhelmed. I honestly can't help but feel a bit fooled by the meticulous approach to the visual aspect of the movie. It does remind me of M. Night Shyamalan's earlier movies, which is a good sign since there is a lot of brilliance within those films. But this also frightens me, as Peele might be walking down the same path as Shyamalan did - towards unnecessary mind-boggling twists and away from sophisticated composition, substance and quality in the narrative and screenwriting.