Us (2019) REVIEW

Us is the second horror film from writer/director Jordan Peele, following his 2017 debut hit Get Out, which also used the genre to explore social issues in America in an entertaining way. Peele was originally a comedian, the second half of the duo Key & Peele. His background helps him to blend in comedy between scares in a way that horror films often fail to do (last year’s reboot of Halloween often destroyed its tension with misplaced jokes). This ability is even more on display in Us, and feels more natural than in Get Out. While the latter film took a scary satirical look at race in America, this one leaves it’s subtext more up to interpretation. It’s themes can be mapped onto issues such as Trump’s immigration policies and is worth reading into. That being said, exploring important issues doesn’t necessarily make a good movie, and Peele was under a lot of pressure to deliver another great experience as he did in 2017.

Fortunately, he definitely did. Us is every bit as well-acted and directed as Get Out. The cinematography is far beyond your average horror film and the sound design is fairly amazing. Readers who frequent horror movies will be used to the ‘gah!’ sound effect that usually accompanies sudden jumpscares in post-2000 films. Luckily, this is almost entirely absent, as Peele prefers to use the actual diegetic noise (the breaking of glass etc.) to make viewers jump.

While Get Out was definitely a strange film, Us shows that Peele is not willing to make a straightforward horror movie just yet. Us’ script is even more bizarre, unique and original. This is complemented by the original score, composed by Michael Abels, who also did Get Out, which is just as countercultural as the film. New, more sinister-sounding covers of existing songs are also put in to add to the tension. All of the performances are great, especially those actors and actresses who had to play two characters, with different voices and movements. Usually child/teen actors are horrible in movies but these ones were all pretty good (apart from two minor characters).

However, for all Us succeeds in those elements, it’s final few minutes let it down. Without spoiling anything, they involve a twist that is painfully obvious if you’re paying attention. I predicted it pretty much in the first scene and I don’t usually predict plot twists. That’s really my only major complaint. Some of the scenes went on a little too long or were a little too short, by they hardly detracted from my experience.

Us is tense, funny and thought-provoking, and I highly recommend it, even if horror is typically not your thing.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2