Peele excels with a perfectly crafted dark tale of identity

Rating: 10/10 (25 March 2019)

As a fan of Jordan Peele's comedy work before Get Out made him into a household name as a director, I was very excited see him continue to explore social politics through horror in Us (2019). And Us (2019) is so much more complex and energetic then his last movie that only came out two years ago, that I had to watch this movie two times before giving my complete thoughts.
On the surface Us (2019) paints a very straightforward survival horror premise of a family called the Wilsons forced to fight against homicidal versions of themselves called the Tethered. But Peele doesn't rely on the gimmick of the killer or monster being our copies to hold it together. He merely uses it as an opportunity to go deeper into very questionable and existential ideas about human identity.
A large part of what holds Us together is Lupita Nyong'o dual performances as Adelaide and Red. When we first meet Adelaide she is this paranoid mother worried about her family's safety and is driven to extreme lengths to keep them safe from her Tether copy Red. And with Nyongo playing Red as well, she makes every single uncanny bodily movement and every word from her rasping voice to feel both terrifying the as film's villain but also evoke the harsh reality she comes from. But as the story evolves, Nyong'o brings more dimensions to both her characters that go beyond the final girl and slasher villain in a horror film. Adelaide becomes more assertive and aggressive in her actions and we then see the tragedy that Red has been carrying for decades that acts as fuel for her violent revolution. It's a difficult challenge for someone to bring this much depth to two characters in one movie but Nyongo's deserves as many awards as possible for achieving it.
Now that Peele's gets to play with a larger scope, we see that he gets to have more fun within horror and comedy. While Get Out was a slow burn to the horror's reveal, Us immediately sets it in motion within the first 30 minutes. The sequence of the Tether breaking into the Wilson's home is probably one of the scariest sequences I have seen in recent years. From there the movie never slows down to make you feel like the Wilsons are safe from this threat. But the horror never becomes overwhelming thanks to Peele's expertise in comedy to be used in the right moments. A lot of it comes from how well the humour is written within the characters themselves from Winston Duke's surprisingly hysterical portrayal of an ignorant nerdy dad and husband to the son played in a breakout performance by Alex Jones unintentionally being self-aware of the crazy situation they are in.
While Get Out made it very clear from the start it was about racism, Us plays it more subtly with its social messaging. Using the creepy imaginary of mirroring and contrasting visuals and sequences of repetition (just like last year's The Favourite it make flocks of rabbits evoke dread), it not only foreshadows the darkness that is to come but also reinforce the themes of dual identities. And examining closely through certain lines of dialogue and scenes, Peele is very much making a commentary on America's economy and class-system. Through the Wilson's middle-class perspective of what to them seems like twisted versions of themselves invading their home, Us reveals the misguided views society has on those that lack the upper-class's benefits and awards. And when the Wilsons are forced to breakaway from their carefree identities in order live; it only proves they can be just as savage as their own Tethers.
Particularly reflecting on the refuge crisis happening today during the Trump administration, Adelaide and Red's conflict becomes less about the duality between good and evil and more about whom deserves the better life and what is it worth to gain and keep that life.
Easily the best movie this year so far and is defiantly made be to watched more then once.