Great Movie For Rewatching

Rating: 7/10 (31 March 2019)

Wow this one sure is a thinker and to be truthful I'm not fully sure I understand it though I enjoyed watching. The way the story was laid out in the end didn't fully click with me, I was left wondering how that certain character knew all they did when they were a child when a certain event happened. I also feel like there's something I'm not understanding about the movie on a symbolic level. So many things are seemingly loaded with symbolism(rabbits, scissors, the color red, water to name a few) and I feel like these are all pieces to a puzzle but I just don't have them together right to make the big picture. Maybe I'm just stupid? Peele did give his cast a list of movies to watch so they could all be on the same page(Dead Again, The Shining, The Babadook, It Follows, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Birds, Funny Games, Martyrs, Let the Right One In, and The Sixth Sense) and of the list I've only seen 5 so maybe it will help to see the others.
One thing that's really fun is this is a movie absolutely chock full of easter eggs and references to other films and entertainment. Besides nods at the prior mentioned movies Peele showed his cast, which of the ones I've seen were all nodded to, I caught references to Alice in Wonderland, The Lost Boys, The Goonies, C.H.U.D., the Twilight Zone tv series, a possibly one to Invasion of the Body Snatchers remake of '78, possibly The Strangers and Jaws. I bet I'll find more on the next watch.
Besides all the thinky stuff and hidden nods I really appreciated the tense atmosphere at the beginning of the movie. I was wound so tight before anything actually happened. I wish that tension had gone on for the whole movie Peele really knows how to bring you to the edge of your seat. The second half felt more like a zombie apocalypse film though and I think the disconnect between that and the prior tone threw me. All the cast delivered excellent performances but Lupita Nyong'o absolutely killed it. There's lots of little subtle movements and expressions she uses to back up what the dialogue is saying and I just felt her performance had depth to it that improved on the already fantastic script. I loved watching her, she's incredible!
This movie hit more than it missed and I think most of the problems I have with it are my own fault. I definitely recommend this movie and think it's one that's worth multiple viewings.