Another Solid, Socially Relevant Film from Peele

Rating: 10/10 (25 March 2019)

This was a film that I was highly anticipated coming out this year. It was one that I was looking into showtimes while on vacation, because I was gone the opening weekend. I kept seeing the trailer over and over again, so I finally got a chance to see it when I still had vacation day scheduled when I got home. To get into this, the synopsis is a family's serenity turns into chaos when a group of doppelgangers begins to terrorize them.
We kick this off back in 1986. We see a television screen showing us some commercials before cutting to a boardwalk. There's a family where the mother and father don't seem to be really getting along. The father might have a tad bit of a drinking problem and their daughter isn't talking a lot. When her father isn't paying attention, she wanders off into a hall of mirrors. It is there that she comes face to face with another little girl who looks just like her.
It then jumps to the present where the little girl grows up to be Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o). She is a bit on edge to the summer house she is going to with her family. Her husband is Gabe (Winston Duke). They also have two children, Zora (Shadhadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). Something interesting is that Jason has a mask with him at all times and a bit off.
Gabe wants to take the family to the beach, but Adelaide is completely against this. We know because of the incident that happened to her as a child. Gabe or the family has no idea. He does convince her they go meet their friends there. Their friends are Kitty Tyler (Elisabeth Moss) and Josh (Tim Heidecker) along with their two kids Becca (Cali Sheldon) and Lindsey (Noelle Sheldon). When Jason disappears to use the bathroom, he finds an odd man. This freaks his mother out and they go home.
Adelaide feels something is wrong and when the lights go out, she panics. It is then that Jason informs them there is a family outside. Their lives become a nightmare as they soon realize this other family looks exactly like them.
Now I am trying to go as vague with the recap as I can to not spoil the film. I will state that this film has a quote that starts it off that kind of gives away what is going on here. I've seen some people are upset about this, but I personally wasn't. I will admit, I was at first, but then I started seeing all of the signs that writer, director and producer Jordan Peele put into the film. Examples are the infamous C.H.U.D. VHS, Jason wearing a Jaws t-shirt and amongst other things. Seeing all of these things, I have to give him so much credit for putting these little things in that only horror fans will probably pick up on for references.
Coming into this film, I had a feeling there was going to be some social commentary going on. I can actually see that some of my friends won't pick up on them or if they do, they are going to hate them thinking that it isn't really something that is an issue, but I have to say, I think it really deepens the film for me. It is looking at the issue of race; with Gabe really wanting to be like the Tyler's as everything them get seems to outdo what he's done. There are issues of class, which is everyone against their doppelgangers. I don't want to delve too much into this, because I think I could probably write a whole paper on the different issues, what they could mean and things to this effect. It is something that knowing Peele from previous works, I had a feeling we would get and I'm so glad they're there.
Much like his previous film, Get Out, I love that we are following black protagonists. I love that Adelaide is our final girl and I will delve more into that in a bit. As a horror fan, I've heard and made the jokes about who would die out of my friends and even seeing the documentary Horror Noire, it makes even more sense. I like seeing things from a different perspective and a film like this definitely helps there.
Now I didn't love everything about this film. There is so much explained, but there is one aspect during the end that I wish would have given more. I like the bible verse that is used and I think that ties in a bit with things that are said, but I really just want to know why there are these people and why are they there? It is a scary concept and knowing what the opening lines states, could something like this be possible? Absolutely, but I just wanted a bit more of why they are there for me personally.
To the pacing of the film, I think for the most part it was really good. There was a lull though after the initial incident, that I lost a bit of interest. I does reel me back in as the second act really progresses, but I just felt the film lost its way a bit. I'm a big fan of the duality the film gives us of things that happened earlier in the film and then come full circle in the end. I thought the ending was solid, even though I thought the reveal was something that probably happened pretty early on. I think it makes sense for the film and why everything happens as it does.
For the acting, Nyong'o was great. I love how her character is so subdued in the beginning of the film and then we see the fear grow within her. It is when she is faced with saving her children and family that she grows into what she has to in order to survive. She makes a great final girl and if she really wants to keep doing horror films, with her ability, I'm completely for it. Duke was solid as her husband. He brings some comedy which I think is good for horror to alleviate a bit of the tension when needed. Moss and Heidecker were solid as well. I thought all of the kids in the film, especially Alex did well. It can be tough for children, as they seem to be either really good or really bad. Alex and Joseph for the screen time they got, were good.
Effects for the film I believe were mostly practical. Something else I love about Peele I've heard in interviews is that he loves the genre and I think that amount of respect is there in the basics for sure. The blood and effects look real which really helps. There is some CGI but it is hidden by shadows which hide if it doesn't look good and really keeps the realism. I thought the effects were good for sure.
The soundtrack of the film is something else that was on point. It seems to be split between score and real songs, but the ones that are chosen are perfect for when they are needed. I will never be able to hear the song 'I Got 5 on It' without thinking of this film. The real songs title or lyrics fit the situation and the others build the tension. It was very well done in my opinion.
Now with that said, I've seen horror fans being pretty divided on this film. I took a bit of time after seeing it to process and then writing this to ensure I got down everything I wanted to say without spoiling it. I'm normally a guy who doesn't like things force fed to me, but I like that this film wants you to know things with the references. I think the social commentary is good and the acting helps bring this all to life. There is a slight editing issue to me, but it still builds tension and I like the reveal. The score and the effects were both really good as well. I personally felt this is a very good movie.