“Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.” - Jeremiah 11:11
Us is a horror-thriller directed and written by Jordan Peele, starring Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke. It tells the story of a middle-class African-American family going on a peaceful beach holiday, then, being terrorized by the sudden appearance of their doppelgängers.
Firstly, the movie’s story is quite original. An ordinary family goes on a vacation in a serene town in Santa Cruz and after a short time, the mother, Adelaide, begins to feel uneasy, which is particularly because of a traumatic event she experienced in Santa Cruz when she was a little kid. Later, her uneasiness proves to be true when the family’s violent doppelgängers appear and try to murder them. From that point, the movie becomes a thrill ride that doesn’t stop until the end. In addition to the story, its storytelling is also quite impressive, combining both light-hearted moments and horrifying sequences with great dialogues, atmospheric visuals, and perfect scores. Besides, the movie gives us a poignant perspective on the massive gap between the social classes with its storytelling techniques and impactful characters. The only thing I disliked about the movie is that there are a few plot points that were either left out or didn’t make sense to me.
Secondly, the acting performances in this film are top-notch. For example, all the actors that play the members of the main family also play their doppelgängers, who are quite opposite copies of their original personalities. Because of this, the actors have to be two vastly different versions of the same people, which is quite difficult, yet, they manage to do that masterfully. In my opinion, their performances are some of the best I’ve ever seen in horror films.
Lastly, the cinematography and the soundtrack are working flawlessly with the movie’s overall narrative. The visuals fit its general atmosphere and help the film give the viewers emotions it wants them to feel. Furthermore, the soundtrack is also impeccable with the movie’s orchestral and eccentric tracks that give me goosebumps every time I hear them, and some excellent horror pieces that elevate the thrill aspect of it.
In the end, I’d love to say that Us is a terrific horror movie that doesn’t even need some cheap jumpscares to frighten its audience. Instead, it features a great story and fantastic storytelling combined with exceptional acting performances, remarkable cinematography, and an outstanding soundtrack. Even though it has a few plot holes that don’t make sense, it’s still a brilliant example of what a horror movie should be like.
RATING: 9/10
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