Us
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Peele's bloody, startling, inventive horror movie.
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Us
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What's the Story?
US begins with young Adelaide enjoying the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with her parents in 1986. While her father is distracted, she wanders off and winds up in a house of mirrors. The power winks off, and she finds herself standing next to what looks like her own reflection ... except that it's not a reflection. Flash forward to the present: Grown-up Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) is now married to Gabe (Winston Duke), with a teen daughter, Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph), and a young son, Jason (Evan Alex). While the family vacations at their summer home, Gabe suggests going back to Santa Cruz; though the idea terrifies Adelaide, she reluctantly agrees. Jason is briefly missing, but otherwise the day goes well. But when they get home, they discover a strange family of four standing in their driveway. And they look a lot like the Wilsons ... except that they don't seem friendly.
Is It Any Good?
Jordan Peele's horror shocker can't compete with its sensational predecessor Get Out, but it doesn't have to. Made with precision, intelligence, and humor, Us is inventive and wildly entertaining in its own right. It can be said that Us has something to do with doppelgangers, but just how far the story goes and what it all means is best left to individual discussion. It's like a carnival ride of crazy ideas -- it's startling and also actually sometimes funny. While Get Out had little pockets of comic relief inserted into strategic places, the laughs in Us, based both on ironic jokes and on the happy feel of relief and release, are scattered throughout. Any character in this film can earn a laugh.
Since Peele -- well known as part of the comedy team Key & Peele -- understands the primal, bodily sensations of both laughter and fear, he approaches the filmmaking in Us with supreme confidence. His camera never shakes but rather moves in such a way to hide or reveal information for maximum impact. He's as precise here as Hitchcock or Kubrick. He also understands the use of music and sound, merging back and forth between a chilling, chanting orchestral score and pop songs, each adjusted at just the right volume or tone. It's an undeniably well-crafted and brutally effective movie, but where Get Out created a sharp, satirical commentary on race relations, this one very simply presents a positive portrayal of an African American family.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Us. Do the blood and gore seem over the top? Do the violent scenes help tell the story in an effective way? Is it shocking or thrilling? Why? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of scary movies?
What is a doppelganger? Do you think they exist in real life? Could there be a "good" and "evil" version of a person? Why or why not?
How many movies have you seen that portray an average/regular African American family? How did this one compare? Why is the family's ordinariness notable?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 22, 2019
- On DVD or streaming: June 18, 2019
- Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Wilson Duke, Elisabeth Moss
- Director: Jordan Peele
- Inclusion Information: Black directors, Black actors, Latinx actors
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Genre: Horror
- Run time: 116 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: violence/terror, and language
- Last updated: September 2, 2022
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