Briefly, Us is about a family whose vacation is interrupted by murderous doppelgängers. Protective mom Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o), goofy dad Gabe (Winston Duke), track star Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph), and little brother Jason (Evan Alex) are just chilling in their waterfront home one night when the power goes out and four people holding hands appear on their driveway. From that point on, the movie transforms from cute and normal to utterly distressing.
Us is an extremely well-made film, and there are two standouts: the acting and the soundtrack. Every single cast member is on point, the most brilliant being Nyong'o's double performance as Adelaide and the shears-wielding Red. Honestly, she was so disturbing that for a couple of nights after watching the film, I kept seeing Red in my mind's eye, ready to kick my ass with her signature mechanical psycho ballerina flourish. Make room, Natalie Portman in Black Swan! There's new nightmare fuel in a tutu!
The supporting characters are similarly fantastic. Duke gets the most laughs as a walking dad joke, and the kids do a terrific job of being sympathetic. Little Jason gets extra points for being possibly the most perceptive person in the story, despite being dismissed early on as unfocused. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Moss plays a family friend whose counterpart is chillingly, silently unhinged.
But the real star of the film is the music by Michael Abels. Us boasts the obligatory jarring strings/percussion beats of typical horror fare, but it also has "Anthem," the creepy chorale opening theme, and a remix of the 1995 song "I Got 5 On It" that starkly illuminates the movie's overarching theme of duality. Janelle Monáe's "I Like That" is also featured, and any work by Ms. Monáe automatically elevates a thing by 100%.
As for the statement the movie makes...well, honestly, I don't know! I'm pretty sure it's "The monster is US!", as the poster above suggests, but apparently people have been reading class differences into it? Sure, why not! As for me, I have so many questions about the villains' costumes and weapons acquisition program! Who decided on the ankle-length overalls, and wouldn't closed shoes make more sense when executing (heh) a murder spree? Also, do those rabbits not poop? In real life, the waste products of countless bunnies would be the real horror show.
Overall, Us is an effective thriller that expands Peele's scope. While its message is not as laser focused as in Get Out, Us is larger and more ambitious, and showcases a sweet portrayal of a family whose strength comes from the love, trust, and determination of each member. In the end, defeating Us means coming to terms with the darkness within, and a strong family unit can make the struggle less painful. What I'm trying to say is, Winston Duke, will you marry me?
TL;DR: AAAIIIIEEEEEEEE SCARYYYYYY
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This post brought to you by another verdammt cold! What is up, immune system?
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