Us Review

I don't think I have ever before seen people get so excited about a directors second film. Usually it takes a few films for a director to be recognized for their style or brand of storytelling. But after one big hit, people weren't excited for a new horror movie, they were excited for a new Jordan Peele movie. This may also be because he already made a name for himself as a comedian, but he really made a name for himself with his directorial debut; Get Out. Being a big hit with its mixing of horror and comedy, and clever satire people were anxious to how it would be followed up. I was worried that it might be too similar to Get Out, because it looked like it had some of the same elements. However, not only was it a good followup, I actually thought it was better.

Us tells the story of a family spending summer vacation at their beachside house in Santa Cruz. Then one night they are attacked by a mysterious family who turn out to be exact look-a-likes of them. Not only do they look like them but they also act and think like them, and plan to kill them and take over there lives. As the night goes on the family fights for their life as they try to outsmart their doppelgängers, as the shocking identity of them is slowly revealed. Even though the story is a big leap from his last film, it still has a similar style and tone that makes it keeps it familiar while also keeping it unique.

Like Get Out, the movie puts an interesting twist on an otherwise overused horror trope. Taking a home invasion story and adding a frightening and surreal element to it. Also, while it is primarily a horror movie I did not find it scary in the traditional horror movie way. The scares mostly come from the creepy set up, and the overwhelming atmosphere of suspense and terror. It also has a lot of comedic moments as well to of set the horror. Even though the jokes sometimes seem a little forced it, for the most part the horror and comedy blend pretty well. The actors performances really bring out both the comedy as the main characters, and the horror as their evil doppelgängers. The best parts are when they are acting creepy because it's also funny just how creepy they act.

While being both very funny and scary it also manages to be surprisingly smart. Much like Get Out there is a lot of social satire littered through out the movie. It looks like every detail was thought out to convey something deeper. Unlike the other movie, however, the social commentary in this is less direct. It never seems to obvious of what the hidden meaning is and this allows leaves it more open to interpretation. I like it when movies do that so you can focus more whats going on in the story and less on what it is trying to say. Though the overall theme seems to be "duality".

Overall, Us works well both as a follow-up the directors previous movie, and as it's own unique stand alone story. It is very scary and funny, and has great actors to carry it along. If you liked Get Out, are a fan of horror, or want to see something different then I say go check it out.

I give it a 4/5.