Peele Most Certainly Avoids the Sophomore Slump

Rating: 8/10 (23 March 2019)

Jordan Peele's directorial debut, "Get Out," caught the world by fire, serving as both a major box-office hit and an incredibly acclaimed film. His sophomore directorial effort, "Us," has come with great fanfare, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. Some aspects of it are even superior to such aspects in "Get Out." While this is a complex, intricate and incredibly richly layered horror film, Peele's fans will most certainly not be disappointed.
The film centers around a family on vacation in Santa Cruz, California, where they are terrorized by doppelgangers of themselves. Peele manages to play homage to many horror films that inspired him in this film, and also crafts astounding command of symbolism and subtext to create distinct motifs throughout the film. While the film does get quite unusual in the third act, as might be expected, its narrative crescendo feels unique and earned (if slightly rushed.) The acting in the film is great, with Lupita Nyong'o as the clear standout--playing both a good-natured yet paranoid mother and her doppelganger. Winston Duke also gives a charismatic performance as the father, whose characterization is similar to someone like Homer Simpson. Peele is outstanding at building up suspense and tension in the film, mostly avoiding lazy jump-scares in favor of genuine dread. While the film is scarier than "Get Out," it's still not too-too-scary, as Peele also manages to incorporate plenty of comic relief throughout. Winston Duke's lines will often draw hearty laughs from audiences, as will a ghoulishly ironic moment set to a well-known N.W.A. song.
The only real flaw of "Us" is that some of the film's plot twists are a bit predictable. Furthermore, some of Peele's subtexts run the risk of almost stepping over each other in a way that you would not say about subtexts in "Get Out." Much of the film will be open to interpretation and passionate debate among viewers, which is, of course, what any truly great film should do. While the film's use of symbolism and religious imagery might be considered by some to be a bit like Aronofsky's "mother!", Peele has clear populist sensibilities and understanding of what audiences are looking for in movies that "mother!" most definitely did not. Definitely recommended. 8/10