Us (Jordan Peele, 2019) USA

Reviewed by Kaio Farkouh.

Two years ago, Jordan Peele launched his first feature film, “Get Out” (2017). It was by then, that we were introduced to one of the best directors working today. The movie got a lot of attention, being a horror with a social satire. Jordan ended up winning an Academy Award for best original screenplay. This year, he is back with his new feature film. The expectations were so high, and did he live up his name of his first movie? Is it any good? Let’s find out.

“Us” follows the story of thew Wilson family, who decide to go on a trip to Santa Cruz, to enjoy the beach and friends. The same beach that the character Lupita Nyong’o (Adelaide Wilson) grew up and had a traumatic experience. Lupita knows that somethings is not right, she feels like something is about to happen, when in fact, it does. The family Wilson meet their doppelgängers and the movie turns into a survival horror.

Jordan Peele knows how to create suspense, in an age where horror movies are based on jumps scares, Jordan likes to create the suspense, creates an environment that even if it looks all right, you can feel that things are not right. The way he uses the camera, with his non expositive screenplay, it always feels like he is a step ahead of us, which is very good.Another triumph of the movie is the score, how he mixes pop songs and turn them into horror songs. “I got 5 on it” or even a scene where the movie mocks “Alexia” (Amazon) and plays “Good Vibration” in a bloody scene. The music produced by Michael Abels (Get Out) gives the feeling of horror and tension when needed it.

The cast handles very well the movie, Winston Duke (Black Panther) plays the dad (Gabe Wilson/ Abraham), and he is also the comic relief of the movie. The two children also do a very good job, Shahadi Wright Joseph, the daughter (Zora Wilson/Umbrae) and Evan Alex, the son (Jason Wilson/Pluto). However, how stood out for me is Lupita Nyong’o, who plays the mother (Adelaide Wilson/Red). Lupita won the Academy Award  for her role in as a supporting actress in “12 years a slave”, after that she worked in some movies as motion capture, so it is good to see how good she is. She has the most dramatic arc in the movie, and her character as a mother and as the doppelgänger are amazing, her expressions, her eyes, she does an amazing job.

Like “Get Out”, “Us” also is a horror movie with a social satire. It reflects on who are the real monsters, and if they are any real monsters. How we are the ones to blame for all differentiations that have in our world because of the huge marge between the poor and the rich. However, different from “Get Out”, this one is a very bloody film, with more horror aspects. The screenplay works very well, besides in one part where the movie tries to explain itself. Lupita Nyong’o and the score of the movie are the two best things of the movie to me. It is highly recommended if you like horror movies, and if you like a movie that you can come out with different points of view. Jordan Peele is definitely one of the most exciting directors working today.

“Us” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tzFRIQfwXg

 


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