Horror is a tough genre…that’s just the nature of the beast. It has typically been filled with relatively low-budget offerings with high potential for returns. That’s why so, so many bad horror films get made…it just makes fiscal sense. As a result, there’s been a definitive lack of originality that has kinda spun out of control. Fortunately, there are still filmmakers who grew up indoctrinated by the classics and choose to continue making movies in that light. Us is a wholly original effort that showcases its creator’s strengths and pushes the genre away from stagnation.
After the overwhelming success of Get Out, there were bound to be more eyes on Oscar-winner Jordan Peele’s follow up project. Once again, he wrote/directed/produced so this was really his baby from top to bottom. Perhaps my expectations were too high but the plot itself doesn’t provide for much wiggle room. You’re thrust right into the middle of the conflict without much explanation and just have to go with it. The presentation is very effective (thanks in large part to some stellar shot selection by Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis) and, in fairness, it’s scary but still leaves you wallowing in overwhelming curiosity. Eventually, you get an explanation but some of the fear is mitigated (maybe intentionally) by withholding certain details. Depending on how attentive you are, some of the clues in the trailer may spoil the ending of the film like it did for me but it didn’t ruin the experience. It’s designed to have that jaw-dropping effect but, for myself and many others in the audience, the twist undermined some of the established narratives and left more questions in its wake.
Although the plot left a lot to be desired, the dialogue was pretty damn good. Peele’s comedic background certainly comes across and he effectively utilized quite a bit of humor without ever shifting the tone drastically away from the horror theme. Pairing the fear and the laughter really allowed the movie to work on both levels in a refreshingly authentic way. Beyond his eye and pen, Peele has a keen ear as a filmmaker as well. Not just in terms of selection but how he integrates music into the scenes also. Made apparent in the trailer, Michael Abels’ mix of “I Got 5 On It” by Luniz certainly plays a large role in terms of setting the mood but Abels also incorporated some very eerie chant music that’s evocative of classic religious horror films like Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen. The film also features tracks, from Janelle Monaé and Minnie Riperton, only on the physical soundtrack album while “Fuck Tha Police” by N.W.A has a prominent scene in the film as well but isn’t included on the soundtrack. Between Abels’ creepy original score (with some Predator influences in the track “News Report”) and the music supervision, there is plenty of energy available to drive the story in the right direction. Thanks in large part to his influences and his dedication, Peele has established himself as the preeminent voice in modern horror.
For all of the technical strengths of the production, horror films only go as far as their actors can take them. In this case, Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o takes it quite a distance. Her dominant performance is both visceral and fragile playing dual roles as Adelaide/Red. The cast was certainly one of the strengths here with the majority taking on dual roles as well. Winston Duke and Shahadi Wright Joseph punctuated the family as Gabe/Abraham and Zorah/Umbrae. The only one who felt out of place was Evan Alex as Jason/Pluto, the baby of the family. Something about the character design just didn’t sit with the family dynamic which had been set forth, not enough to derail things but noticeable. Fans of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! will be excited to see Tim Heidecker alongside Elizabeth Moss as family “friends” Josh and Kitty. The two of them have a dysfunctional relationship that provides just the right amount of humor.
On the surface, this is a pretty straight forward idea. However, without giving too much away, there are definite themes of marginalization and rebellion at play along with questions about morality and existentialism that get raised. As the events of the film begin to unfold, many preconceptions get replaced with vague notions of right and wrong and, as the audience adjusts to those changes, they must make subconscious judgments for themselves. While comparisons to Get Out aren’t entirely fair, they’re inevitable. Both films suffer from overreaching a bit at the end when they didn’t need to go any further. That said, Us was still a very good offering that is on pace to bring in a $60-million opening weekend and allow Jordan Peele to do basically whatever he wants moving forward.
Recommendation: For horror fans, this is a must see and the same audience that enjoyed Get Out is going to enjoy this one too. Even if you didn’t see Peele’s first venture into horror, there’s no reason you couldn’t jump right into this and enjoy it.