Jordan Peele balances comedy, terror in ‘Us’
Following a phenomenon is a tall task for any creator. Anything that writer/director Jordan Peele created after “Get Out” was going to be held to an incredibly high standard.
Luckily, he found a way to haunt us again.
Peele’s sophomore film “Us” manages to be exactly the kind of follow-up that all directors should strive to make: a haunting-yet-hilarious subversive film about the dangers of not addressing your personal demons. Peele creates a piece that improves upon “Get Out,” leaving the audience with something to think about for their next viewing.
“Us” follows the Wilson family’s beach vacation, where the holiday turns sour when a group of doppelgängers, who call themselves “The Tethered,” come seemingly out of nowhere and try to kill the family. Soon, the Wilsons realize that their problems are being shared by families around the globe.
While the Wilsons face a great terror, there are still plenty of comedic moments in the film. The laughs are plentiful and aren’t ridiculous enough to take away from the tension being built. The comedic elements not only create laughs, but also add to the film’s commentary about people over-compensating for their flaws.
Much of this comes from the exceptional performances delivered by its cast members. Lupita Nyong’o is fantastic in the lead role — both as the mother, Adelaide, and her demonic clone. She is fantastic at portraying Adelaide’s anxiety surrounding the situation as well as her resolve to save her family. Her building intensity throughout the film also makes the situation seem more dangerous. As her clone, Nyong’o is chilling.
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Winston Duke (“Black Panther”) and Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) also give star turns. Duke is fantastic as Gabe and Moss is great both as Kitty — the high-class, dumb wife of Gabe’s friend, Josh — and possibly more hilarious and frightening as her clone. The child actors are decent, with none giving a tour de force performance, while never distracting too much from the film.
Visually, the film is striking. The action scenes are cut and filmed with grace and style, creatively framing each and every attack. One shot toward the end of the film featuring both Adelaide and her clone is particularly striking. Peele also uses music well, knowing when to build tension with the score, get a laugh with a song or remain silent to help build tension.
Ultimately, the film is such a strong entry because it was made to serve as a piece of commentary about society’s dismissal of our personal shortcomings and fears. But this attitude is very unhealthy. By not addressing our own anxieties, we only make our problems worse and more prevalent.
As the tagline for the film states, “We are Our Own Worst Enemies.” Peele’s sophomore entry is frightening because the clones are reminiscent of our flaws, serving as a more violent, angry form of their real form.
All of the clones — except for Adelaide’s — are completely silent, signifying the behavior we have toward our own demons. They are reminders that we cannot just repress our issues, but need to be addressed and dealt with.
The commentary adds another layer to an already fantastic film. Like the classic kings of horror, Peele leaves his viewers with something to reconsider about themselves walking out of the theater, rather than just throwing jump scares at them. “Us” is something that will make you look at yourself with a brand-new perspective.
