Us

March 25, 2019 at 5:49 pm | Posted in 2019 | Leave a comment
Tags: Cali Sheldon, Elisabeth Moss, Evan Alex, Horror, Jordan Peele, Lupita Nyong'o, Madison Curry, Movie Review, Noelle Sheldon, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Tim Heidecker, Wilson Duke

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Jordan Peele is on a roll. Two years after his genre-busting “Get Out,” he’s at it again, firmly establishing himself as one of the new horror auteurs. As with all really great horror films (and sci-fi, for that matter), Peele uses the genre for social commentary. Just as “Get Out” was a vehicle to lambaste liberal racism, “Us” has set its sights on something more than just scaring the hell out of you. But, what has it set its sights on? The message of “Get Out” seemed fairly clear, but “Us” manages to feel both in-your-face and obscure, at the same time. I cannot get into what I think it means here, without spoiling all sorts of things. What I will say (cryptically) is this: Peele seems to again be exploring racism in America, and class as well, this time. Although, it appears to be more from a larger cultural and generational perspective. What is the experience of being an outsider in America? One of the invisible who most of us ignore? What could be the end result of our dehumanizing them? What could their pain allow them to do? The movie starts with a TV showing an ad for “Hands Across America.” If you aren’t old enough to remember it, look it up. Because it’s a brilliant metaphor for the naive, condescending way that we perceive those less fortunate and how much effort we are really willing to put into helping them. The metaphor is returned to again and again, and the film ends with the haunting implications of an inversion of that metaphor. Metaphors aside, the film is also a reasonably good horror story. It was very tense at times and genuinely creepy, though there weren’t that many actual scares to be had. The creepiest part of the film was the brilliant acting. Peele clearly hired his main actors based on their ability to play two opposite roles– one person scared shitless, and the other one crazier-than-fuck. Lupita Nyong’o is truly brilliant as Adelaide/Red. She is one of the brightest stars among Hollywood’s crop of young actors, and it shows here. Those two performances were equally as mesmerizing. Though all the actors were good, I have to give another shout out to Shahadi Wright Joseph as the young daughters Zora/Umbrae. As Zora, she genuinely looked terrified. And, as Umbrae, she had the creepiest expression all the time. This was her first feature film, but I can guarantee we will be seeing more of her. The film was also surprisingly funny. Peele had a nice way of making you laugh throughout the film, even during the most disturbing moments. To that end, he choice of music was brilliant. Check out the scene with the Alexa knock-off called Ophelia; those musical choices are full of commentary about race and class, and they are really really funny. This was a terrific film with a really terrific last five minutes. You will be left thinking, “Wait! What just happened? So, what does THAT mean for Peele’s metaphor?” Don’t ask me. I have no idea, and I love that I have no idea. Go see the movie, and then let’s discuss…