A family’s serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begins to terrorize them.
Director and Producer Jordan Peele knows how to make scary movies. He mixes just the right caliber of storytelling with a healthy mix of “freak me out” and life lessons in futility. He is certain to steer you down an unchartered and undeniable path of fate that is sure to scare the bejesus out of anyone. Two years ago when he directed and produced “Get Out,” the world was taken by storm with the film’s hidden messages and anti-stereotypical bylines. In short, he changed the landscape of thriller characterization by diversifying his victim and the entire realm of victimization.
With “Us,” Peele does it again but this time, entire families are converted into copycat killers who form a communal bond to eliminate injustice and radical biases. In the opening scenes, the Wilson family’s simple vacation starts with familiarity as all the members have reasons for wanting or not wanting to revisit Adelaide Wilson’s childhood home in Santa Cruz, California. Lupita Nyong’o stars as Adelaide, the matriarch of a family who is trying to sort out her childhood scars and Gabe Wilson (Winston Duke) is her ever-so-nerdy husband who is trying to bring balance by moving forward, enjoying life, and letting go of the past. The scary parts come early as well as the confusion that is bred between the back and forth of Adelaide as a fearless child and Adelaide as a tarnished grown-up who isn’t fond of reliving her past.
Peele’s inevitable craft of interlocking messages and interweaving shitless fear begins to take shape as the Wilsons meet up with their friends Kitty (Elizabeth Moss) and Josh Tyler (Tim Heidecker) for a long-awaited vacation. Adelaide’s son Jason (Evan Alex) heads off the frightfest as he runs off into the scary pits of hell and in the midst of the family finding him, they run into a group of killers who have reproduced themselves into the entire family’s likeness. The death-like voices and the bugged-out eyes are enough to send anyone straight to confession and the continued evilness just locks you into your seat and imprisons you for the entirety of the film.
Kudos to Peele for continuing to hone his crazy and committing to make a scary movie, an entire lifelong event. For constant humor and unforgiving craziness, I recommend this movie for comic relief alone and the crime that takes place in the midst of it all, is just an added attraction that leaves you wanting more.
In theaters Friday, March 22nd
