“Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.” – Jeremiah 11:11 This biblical quote shows up more than once in director Jordon Peele’s horror thriller ‘Us.’ What does it mean? Like an onion, you can peel away many layers to this film and the messages that lie underneath it. One of the themes explores how the underclass is pissed off and coming to get us. It’s a scary concept that Peele masterfully unfolds like Hitchcock. It’s one of those films that deserve multiple viewings that will reveal new secrets. ‘Us’ is a creepy thriller that will haunt you.
The premise is straightforward. The film opens in 1986 where we see a young girl named Adelaide holding a red candied apple while taking a stroll along a carnival boardwalk. She wanders off into a house of mirrors and discovers something very disturbing. Fast forward some 30 years, the Wilsons are starting their vacation in Santa Cruz. Husband Gabe (Winston Duke) is dorky but endearing, Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) is attached to her smartphone and young Jason (Evan Alex) likes to wear a monster mask. Adelaide is now grownup and the mom (Lupita Nyong’o). She’s not thrilled about returning to Santa Cruz boardwalk where she still displays signs of post traumatic stress disorder.
Gabe talks Adelaide into going to the beach and meeting up with another family, the Tylers. The parents are Kitty (Elizabeth Moss) and Josh (Tim Heidecker). They are the consummate yuppies with two teen twins Becca and Lindsey (Cali and Noelle Sheldon). The twin daughters pay homage to the twin girls in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining.’ Peele has done his homework and studied many of the horror classics. He knows how to playfully use several tropes from the horror film genre. The cast is rock solid. Duke brings comic relief to his character and Moss delivers shocking facial expressions. However, it is Nyong’o’s standout dual performance that is the reason to go see ‘Us.’
When the family returns from the beach, this is where the story gets suspenseful. Young Jacob utters, “There’s a family in our driveway.” Disbelief quickly turns into terror. Sure enough, there is a family standing in the driveway of the home. Besides the stellar acting, Peele surrounds himself with a talented film crew. Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis creates an unsettling tone using light and dark images. This is especially true in the scene where the Wilsons see the strange family for the first time standing at the driveway. Another element that heightens the suspense is the musical score by Michael Abels. I will never be able to hear the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” the same way again.
The existential doppelganger theme and staring at the mirrored images of themselves is thought provoking. There is a lot going on in ‘Us.’ Not all of the meaning is going to be explained to the audience. Peele wants us to talk about this film and draw our own conclusions. The fact that the American families in ‘Us’ are affluent is treating money and material objects as idolatry and the worshiping of false gods. Peele said in an interview, “The film deals with America and how this country looks at the world and how we have a fear of the outsider.” Hands Across America was a failed charitable event that took place in the ‘80s while homeless funding was drastically cut.
Peele’s sophomore effort ‘Us’ is a smart thriller that has a lot to say about the American experience. It is packed with symbolism and secret meaning. It contains solid acting, stunning cinematography and a doomsday soundtrack. First and foremost, Peele is a talented filmmaker that knows how to make an entertaining horror film. Horror fans will not be disappointed with ‘Us.’
