A Great Concept That Falls Flat

Rating: 6/10 (13 January 2020)

As a fan of Jordan Peele's Get Out, finding out that he's going to director a second horror film was exciting. Watching the movie however, wasn't really exciting. There's so much that falls flat, and I came out wondering, how did Jordan go from Get Out, to Us. Us isn't a bad movie at all though, but the idea and not delivering well on it is what ruins the movie. I think Us is a perfect example of perfecting an amazing idea, because if it's not perfected, then it taints the entire movie.
The plot on paper is very clever, but filling in the dots is what's important. There is so many plot holes that are left unanswered, that when the credits appear, you're left with so many questions. How has no one found out about the clones, if they're so easy to find? Where do they get they're clothes and scissors from? Why didn't the government kill the clones once they were done with them? All of these questions are surface level and can be explained, but it's never answered. I guess you can't get too deep into the plot, and just watch the movie casually to enjoy the ending.
The idea itself, that the government created the tethered, which are basically clones of citizens in America is a great idea. And I have to give a point for the concept itself. The pacing was done very well; it didn't take long for things to start happening, and when things did started happening, it wasn't constant fighting.
The acting was solid all around, as all the actors did a great job with making the tethered feel like completely different people. The characters, however, are a completely different story. For some reason, none of the characters are likable, except for Gabe (Played by Winston Duke). Zora and Jason (The children) felt underdeveloped, and we rarely get any exposition of those two characters. It seems that most of the focus was on the adults more than anything else, so it really held back the movie.
Us had the potential to live up to Get Out, but the amount of plot holes creates an unsatisfying ending that leaves too many questions. Half of the characters were underdeveloped and weren't relatable. The action was entertaining though, and the pacing was well executed. Us isn't a bad movie; if you're a fan of horror, then why not, but for others, this is a pass.