Great Ideas with (Mostly) Successful Execution

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2019)

Ever since Jordan Peele shocked filmgoers around the world with his fantastic directorial debut in Get Out, it should've been no surprise that people would eagerly be awaiting his next project. Us marks his second outing as a feature film director and this time, he dives much further into the horror genre than he did with Get Out. I absolutely loved watching this film, but it's not without its flaws. Depending on the way you look at this film as a whole or how you see the ending itself, you may find yourself finding it flawless, but everyone views films differently, so as always, please take my review with a grain of salt.
Following the Wilson family as they begin their summer vacation at a cabin on the lake, Adelaide (the mother) begins to recall moments from her childhood, as a family then invades their home. Realizing the family is actually themselves, a large sense of mystery begins to shroud the film. Personally, the overall premise of this film absolutely astounded me and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout nearly the entire runtime. If there's one thing this film does right, it's in keeping the audience engaged.
Without giving anything away, the film slightly began to lose my grasp throughout the final act. Yes, the storytelling remained clever as everything was being revealed, but the way everything unravelled left a little more to be desired, at least to me. What saved it were the devoted performances by the entire cast from start to finish and a couple neat twists before the film truly comes to an end. There are some bizarre images that still have me thinking, but I believe that was the intention, so I will let them slide.
Other than events in the third act, this is a very tight concept that was throughout engaging throughout. It's fairly early in the year to speak about Oscar chances for performances, but I'll just be completely honest with myself and state that an actress is truly going to have to pull off a miracle to have me believing someone will be more deserving than Lupita Nyong'o for best actress. Her performance floored me and I couldn't divert my eyes for a second.
In the end, Us is the kind of film that gives you a fantastic set-up, presents a very enjoyable second act to back it up and is filled with a tremendously eerie score that sent chills down my spine. I do feel the movie falls into the territory of predictability throughout the third act, but at least it commits to the revelations and doesn't make any mistakes in going for it. I may not think this is a perfect film, but Jordan Peele has put together another great film, worth revisiting over and over again to dissect. I applaud every aspect of this film, even if I didn't quite love it. Definitely check it out, especially if you're a fan of the horror genre.