Mind-Boggling, Plot-Driven Horror

Peele’s “Us” Offers More Than Cheap Scares

Celie Price, Advertisement Manager

If you’re a fan of horror films, you’ve likely already seen Us, the new film from Get Out director and comedian Jordan Peele. In that case, you’ll understand how strange this movie really is and how difficult it is to describe, which means you have to see it to believe it.

The film opens in 1986 with a young Adelaide and her parents on a pier in Santa Cruz. While her dad is distracted by a carnival game, she wanders off into a funhouse on the beach, and encounters her doppleganger in a hall of mirrors. Traumatized, she is unable to speak and suffers a personality change, which worries her parents.

Cut to the present day, a now grown up Adelaide – played by the gorgeous Lupita Nyong’o – is traveling with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke), daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and son Jason (Evan Alex) on vacation. If you´ve seen the trailer for the movie, you´ll know that the family is encountered by a terrifying family of doppelgangers, known as ¨the Tethered¨. While the other doppelgangers don’t speak, Nyong’o gives her character, Red, a voice that will make anyone feel uneasy.

Without spoiling the rest of the film, it’s important to note the symbolism that’s present throughout – scissors, rabbits and Hands Across America to name a few. Peele somehow manages to tie all these seemingly random ideas together to form a frightening story that unfolds at the end with a major twist. Us is one of those films that you should watch again, because it makes much more sense the second time, especially when you may notice different elements each watch. If you’re looking to turn your brain off and get a cheap scare, then Us is not going to give you what you’re looking for. If you’re a fan of mind-boggling, plot-driven horror films such as Rosemary´s Baby or The Sixth Sense, then this film will be a good entry in your catalog.