Us Movie Review
Nathan Swank
March 22nd, 2019
“Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them.” – Jeremiah 11:11 (NKJV)
It’s not every review that I get to begin with scripture, but maybe I should. It definitely would be more edifying. Jeremiah 11:11 is cryptically displayed in a couple of places in Jordan Peele’s new provocative horror film, US. In the interest of helping the viewers know what the scripture is saying, I have graciously written it out in the opening. That is one of two moments where Peele presents an overt commentary that is noticeably abrupt and worth discussing. The second, is a simple reply from the horror film’s main monster, “We’re Americans.” I’ll spare you some of my own interpretation until you see the creepy yet extremely enjoyable US for yourself. But I believe both are intriguing comments that should entice any true cinephile looking for deeper statements within artistic entertainment.
After the hugely critical and financial success of Jordan Peele’s 2017’s masterful GET OUT, in which he also rightfully won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar, writer and director Peele returns to the horror genre. The fun of any horror film is keeping the information to a minimum and leaving the suspense at the maximum. I’ll be careful and brief, only providing information already given from the trailers and posters to set up the scares.
After suffering from a horrifying trauma when she was a little girl, Adelaide Wilson (Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o) returns to the beachside area in which the incident occurred. Now an adult on summer vacation, Adelaide is joined by her happy, suburban, nuclear family: husband and mostly comic relief, Gabe (BLACK PANTHER’s Winston Duke), older daughter, Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and youngest son, Jason (Evan Alex). Standing outside their summer home one evening, is another family who looks almost identical to them, but dressed in red jump suits, fingerless gloves, and carrying long, sharp, silver scissors.
Pulling double duty as the frightened protagonists and their twisted doppelgängers, the actors have their work cut out for them. With her wicked grin, raised eyebrows, and murderous eyes, I am slightly partial to the young Shahadi Wright Joseph’s evil twin. But make no mistake, delivering an award worthy dual performance, the standout is Lupita Nyong’o. If only the Academy wasn’t so frightened of honoring horror films in the acting categories. Face contortions, deliberate quick movements, and her struggling to breathe way of speaking, Lupita creates a character that will haunt your nightmares.
From VHS copies of CHUD and GOONIES to t-shirts of Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Steven Spielberg’s JAWS (there is also a crafty editing homage while on the beach to the film), Peele, who will be narrating the upcoming reboot of The Twilight Zone, honors his influences in meaningful ways throughout his film. His use of music and editing have purpose to not only entertain but also to have a thoughtful voice while creating another original, intelligent, and, I believe, crowd-pleasing horror film.
I had high expectations after GET OUT and, admittedly, while I enjoyed US, was not initially as impressed with Peele’s sophomore effort, dwelling on some of the elongated scenes, oddly placed humor, or even the overt effort to have a larger statement. However, I’m happy I slept on my initial reaction, because not only did the film infest my dreams, but it stuck with me throughout the following day. A highlight of any respectable horror film is at least the attempt to say something more about society’s psyche. But it’s also necessary to entertain and terrify. US checks all the boxes.
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