Review of Us (2019) by Davrosdaleks1 — 22 Mar 2019
Horror/thriller Us, about a family being attacked by duplicates of themselves, was such a unique experience for me. This is only Jordan Peele's second film and he already has a confident sense of direction. Tightly controlled use of camera angles and fine use of color and scenery are all here. The panning out opening credits has a slow, unsettling strangeness to it. As I said, this is a thriller and the whole thing has taught pacing and fight scenes.
The general story is entertainingly freaky. The duplicates, with their scary gold scissors and gloves on only one hand, are unsettling. And it isn't exactly like they're a mindless horde. Each one has a distinct, weird personality.
The script is also pretty funny at points, but the humor never feels like it is detracting from the horror.
The music by Michael Abels is also delightfully eerie. Be sure to check out the opening credits. The movie's main theme might make the list of most recognizable horror music. (It sounds a little like the main theme from Akira if you've seen that.).
The entire cast, main and supporting, is great, including, surprisingly, comedian Tim Heidecker from Adult Swim's Tim and Eric. Winston Duke is fun as the family's goofy father and Lupita Nyongo excels in creepiness as the duplicate mother.
The first act/setup is a little slow, but things run smoothly once the duplicates attack. The explanation to the duplicates' existence is a little vague. I mean the duplicate's motivations are made clear, but the logistical details of the whole thing leaves a lot of questions. Overall, I highly recommend this to people who are looking for something a little new in horror.
This review of Us (2019) was written by Davrosdaleks1 on 22 Mar 2019.
Us has generally received very positive reviews.
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