As someone who is a complete baby when it comes to horror movies, I really liked this film.
Us is Jordan Peele’s new horror movie, which follows a small family whose beach vacation gets hijacked when a group of doppelgangers attack. The film stars Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex, and explores class conflict in America and who the “other” that we are so afraid of really is.
I am a huge coward. I can’t even watch the trailers for most horror films, talking about zombies gives me nightmares and jump scares tend to leave me gasping for air. That being said, I had seen Jordan Peele’s first film, Get Out (2017), which I really enjoyed — though I would classify it more as a psychological thriller than a horror film.
When I saw a poster for Us, I decided that it was a movie I wanted to see — despite the trailer scaring the crap out of me. Last weekend, I went to the theatres to watch it — after closing my eyes through all of the horror movie trailers, none of which I will be watching.
Folks, this movie is super good. The acting, the score and the story are all super interesting and compelling. The Tethers are terrifying, it’s impossible not to root for the family and, once the film is over, you can’t help but think about it.
The acting is amazing. Every actor has to play two characters, and part of the reason the film is so scary is because the performances are so good. Lupita Nyong’o stands out, but Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex are all incredible in their roles, as both the leading family, and the Tethers who terrorize them.
The score and cinematography are just incredible. The music keeps you on the edge of your seat without having to resort to conventional horror tropes, like screeching, and there are some really mesmerizing shots that just add to your suspense. One thing I really loved was how this film tends not to use jump scares as a way of creating fear. Instead, the score and the camera work together to reveal things to you in a way that is genuinely scary without having to resort to startling you. Plus, there are just some really mesmerizing shots.
There is a lot of humour in this movie, and it actually works without detracting from the story. The film was able to make me laugh — and then immediately clutch at my boyfriend’s arm in terror. This is one of the reasons I think Jordan Peele is such a promising director: he has such a visually appealing style, the stories he comes up with are incredible and he has a mastery of comedy and tension that very few directors can pull off.
Peele is able to get an audience laughing, while still keeping them on the edges of their seats, and at the same time tell a story that is more than just scary. This film, like Get Out, has a social commentary, which makes it compelling even when it’s not scary — which it almost always is, at least for me. I was super stressed the entire time. Again, I am a big baby, but for me this movie is eerie and scary to watch, and the concept sticks with you. I’m honestly a little subconsciously worried that I’m going to open a door and my evil double is going to be there with no eyebrows and a pair of scissors.
However, for those of you that like horror, I can say with some confidence that the movie is still enjoyable even if you’re not a pansy like I am. I went to the film with my boyfriend, who has been dying to watch a horror film with me. He said that the film wasn’t terrifying or anything, but he was really engaged with the story, and that it was a good movie even if it wasn’t super scary — which, again, I think it was.
So, there it is. I think this movie is absolutely awesome, and I’m super excited to see what Jordan Peele comes up with next, because he is an amazing filmmaker with a lot of promise, and he makes horror movies that I am actually able to watch, which is great.