Misunderstood, flawed, but not bad.

Rating: 7/10 (18 June 2019)

This is a very misunderstood movie that will not resonate with most. Once the viewer realizes that the tethered represent the forgotten masses at the bottom of society (see details at the end of my review), things make much more sense, but a horror movie may not be the best vehicle to make that point, and the message doesn't become clear until the end, and for most, not even then.
The acting is good for the most part, the cinematography is great, and the score is apt and enjoyable. There are funny moments (some intentional, some not) and loads of cultural references (mostly from the 80s).
Now for the explanation:
The tethered look like us and try to act like us, but they are forced to live in the shadows/underground simply due to their social/financial status. It's even mentioned in the movie that they are Americans. At some point they are bound to find a leader and rise up, which includes violence. The human chain at the end is a reference to Hands Across America, a 1986 initiative to help the poor. This is not simply a theory, as Jordan Peeele himself talked about the theme of the movie.