Directed by:
Jordan PeeleScreenplay:
Jordan PeeleCinematography:
Mike GioulakisComposer:
Michael AbelsCast:
Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anna Diop, Duke Nicholson, Kara Hayward (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Haunted by an unexplainable and unresolved trauma from her past and compounded by a string of eerie coincidences, Adelaide feels her paranoia elevate to high-alert as she grows increasingly certain that something bad is going to befall her family. After spending a tense beach day with their friends, the Tylers, Adelaide and her family return to their vacation home. When darkness falls, the Wilsons discover the silhouette of four figures holding hands as they stand in the driveway. This endearing American family is pitted against a terrifying and uncanny opponent: doppelgängers of themselves. (Universal Pictures US)
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Reviews (11)
For however much Jordan Peele is following the overrated Get Out with a film that divides the audience and for which I could easily understand any choice on the rating scale, this is a surprise that caught me quite unprepared. And that I more than anyone else would be the one praising this film the most? I would never believe it. But Us is a true example of a combination of nerve-wracking situations, goosebump-inducing moments, and humor that doesn't play it safe and instead complements the mood excellently, in most cases, in a completely unforced way. The social issues are present this time are just right, and also subtle, so you need to (voluntarily?) dig into them in your own way and not get slapped in the face with them every few minutes, as was the case with Get Out. The first reveal pleasantly surprised me in how it doesn't hold back in terms of genre, the second, which some found excessive and degrading, actually spun the ideological whirlwind at double speed for me. I might even leave the fifth star for a hypothetical second viewing due to the occasional brutality and overall despair. Although I felt very claustrophobic almost the entire two hours while watching, the battle in the background with the pas de deux composition is an unprecedented example of harmony between music and image that I will want to see again. A sculpted toy that can't be faulted.
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An overly calculated and sure-footed Oscar-winning film that ticks off the likely situations to come, and they do come, including the pathetic ending. But the dialogues between Tony and Shirley are hilariously written, there's a great spark between them and I laughed my heart out at times. Viggo plays my peer, always eating like me, getting a pot belly like me, just cute. I'd like him to win an Oscar, more than Rami "look-at-my-brutal-attempt" Malek, and more than Ali, who to me is an actor of one expression.
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Jordan Peele is undoubtedly a huge talent, which he has shown not only in his comedy sketches, but also with his hit Get Out, and high hopes were pinned on Us, based on the amazing trailer and positive reactions from critics. In the end feelings are slightly mixed, the film will definitely once again divide audiences into two camps, similar to Mother or Hereditary. Mainstream viewers and teens can stay home, this is a much more challenging spectacle than it first appears and those expecting a classic home invasion, slasher or horror will be sorely disappointed. The biggest trump cards are definitely the actors, with Lupita Nyong'o giving an extraordinary double performance, the superb craftsmanship, the details, the camera shots, the visuals and the intense music (“I Got 5 on It” is played three times and is quite goosebump-inducing during the final scene), and the very disarming and effective twists and turns, which you may not understand right away, but the creativity cannot be denied. Us also works in terms of horror. The home invasion is filmed in a decently atmospheric manner and the slasher rampage is quite brutal, though unfortunately, there is no explicit gore. In places the film is underpinned by comedy interludes, which work for the most part. It's slightly disappointing that the film isn't downright creepy and there's a distinct lack of a memorable scene to talk about in the future. Many may also be bothered by the fact that some issues aren't put squarely on the table, and whether the whole thing even makes sense is also debatable. I will definitely give this a re-watch and even though I was expecting grittier and more dense stuff, I still have to admit that there hasn't been a horror film this original and creative in years. 80%.
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With this grotesquely warped horror movie reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, Jordan Peele has confirmed his position as an illustrious talent in the field of genre films. In Us, those who are so inclined can see a provocative parallel to the basic principle of capitalism, i.e. the presumed right to privilege and living life at the expense of someone else, which brings out the dark side of people. At the same time, however, it is simply a great, original horror flick that is not satisfied with the superficial tricks with which most current contributions to the genre are inundated.
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I can´t shake the feeling that Peele originally intended it to be a pilot episode of Sterling's cult (and crucial for “peripheral" genres) The Twilight Zone, which will be soon reincarnated. And it would have made a fantastic pilot which would have proven that Peele can pay tributes to the models/originals, keep the spirit and ideas of the original and still make the movie up to date and specific in his unique manner. But it should have been a pilot with a 60-minute footage, not a two-hour movie. Even though Peele is such a good director and has really actors at hand, the essence is so high-quality (it works both as a relaxed genre movie and as a satire) and on top of that, he can take advantage of brilliant Abels and he is not afraid to use him properly, so you won´t be become bored of it, not for a moment. In fact, you will feel quite the opposite. However, I cannot get rid of the feeling that it is an “excellent short story but slightly worse feature film".
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