Us

Jordan Peele delivers yet another captivating and clever horror film with strong rewatchability. Us (2019) follows Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) and her family as they vacation at their beach house and are met by a family of red-jumpsuit-wearing, gold-scissor-carrying doubles. The family of doubles are not exclusive to the Wilsons, however; there are doubles living underground every living person, waiting to kill their above-ground counterpart in order to become “untethered” from them. There is an abundance of imagery and ideas that emphasize duality found throughout the film. The ever-present “Jeremiah 11:11,” (which appears numerous times throughout the film and is a reflection of itself); the twins of the Tyler family; Adelaide’s son Jason’s (Evan Alex) Chewbacca mask; the house of mirrors; the contrast of The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” with N.W.A.’s “F*ck tha Police” in the same scene; and many, many, MANY other uses of pairs would take repeat viewings to spot them all. The cinematography and editing showcase Peele’s cleverness as there are plenty of shots involving reflections and shadows. Intercutting towards the end of the film also shows a physical altercation between Adelaide and her double, Red, cut along with Adelaide performing a dance routine when she was younger.

There are countless horror references found in Us, some more in plain sight than others. Young Adelaide wears a Michael Jackson “Thriller” t-shirt, but this isn’t the only “Thriller” reference. The film concludes with Lupita Nyong’o’s character looking back at Jason, when he realizes the truth of what has happened, much like when Michael Jackson looks into the camera at the conclusion of the infamous “Thriller” music video. A more not-so-obvious horror reference in Us comes indirectly through its subject matter. This interpretation may be a reach, but bear with me. Stanley Kubrick’s legendary horror film The Shining (1980) has elements of pairs and doubles that appear throughout the film. Jordan Peele even dressed as Jack Torrance during an interview about Us and replied to a tweet of a picture of him in this outfit with “All work and no play….” a blatant reference to The Shining.

Peele utilizes suspense and anticipation beautifully as he plays with the conventions of the horror genre in order to subvert the audience’s expectations with a laugh or well-timed comment as opposed to the expected scare. While this film’s elements play more into the horror genre than Peele’s Get Out (2017), the added use of humor proves Peele’s masterful ability to balance tone. Some of the most humorous and disturbing moments of the film come from the doppelganger’s actions.

It seems like Peele is making a statement about the United States. When the doppelgangers are asked who they are, they reply with “We are Americans,” which, to me, felt out of place. This isn’t the only America connection, however. The “Hands Across America” movement from 1984 plays an important role in the film and serves as the foundation for the motivation of the doppelgangers closing the film. It closes with everyone’s doppelgangers holding hands. It is also worth noting that the title doubles as an acronym for “United States.”

Us will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entirety of its 116 minutes. This movie is captivating, to say the least, as it’s jam packed with references, foreshadowing, and metaphors, as well as a unique story and incredible performances by all of the cast members. I am eager to see what Jordan Peele accomplishes next.