US
There is a lot of good in “Us”, director Jordan
Peele's follow-up to his successful horror film, “Get Out”, but
it is also a film that has a myriad of problems that I cannot help
but think it is not as worthy for all the critical praise that it
gets.
The film is about a young family who have their holiday
interrupted and threatened when their doppelgangers arrive and
attempt to take their place. For the first half of the film, it is a
wonderfully creepy experience filled with some chilling images and
situations. The doppelganger concept is a favourite of mine, and I
believe it is one that works incredibly well in horror films. Being
stalked and chased by someone who looks exactly like you is such a
strong visual, that is also just horrific. “Us” is excellent in
creating an uneasy atmosphere when the doubles arrive and at
sustaining an intensity when the two families share an extended stand
off together. All of the family members also play their doppelganger
variants but it is actress Lupita Nyong'o who stands out above the
pack for her stunning performance as Red, the evil double of
Adelaide. She makes two distinct characters out of Red and Adelaide
and they couldn't be more different. Scenes when she is playing
against herself are just something else, and the reason why “Us”
works as well as it does rests entirely on her shoulders.
Another aspect of the film that works well is the
non-traditional and very bizarre musical score from Michael Abels.
It kind of sounds like carnival music being played in a broken music
box, but it works so well and is so creepy. It perfectly suited the
equally impressive horror visuals captured by cinematographer Mike
Gioulakis. This is a seriously good looking horror film and I was
surprised by how dark the film was, meaning how deep the blacks were
in the imposing shadows.
As the film goes along, it starts to become obvious that
this doppelganger phenomenon isn't happening to just this one family
and that everyone's double is out to claim their place in the world.
Somewhere along the line, we find out that these doubles are called
“the tethered” and it is here that Jordan Peele starts to make
some rather big mistakes in his screenplay. By explicitly explaining
who the tethered are and how they came to be, the mystery and creep
factor is lost and the film begins to drastically fall apart. I get
that by doing so, it makes the “message” of the film easier to
understand, but it also works against the film as a whole and frankly
turns it into a bit of a ridiculous mess. “Us” would have been
so much more powerful if Peele trusted his audience and didn't feel
the need to explain every detail. Sometimes it works better in
horror films if things aren't ever explained “why”, and to me
this is the biggest failing in “Us”. However, because of the
message that the film is trying to convey, (which is that the lower
income and homeless families, not to mention those that are
minorities of race, that the US consider their dirty little secret
and have tried to sweep under the carpet, have had enough and want to
stand up to be heard and counted...ie. They are human too and want
their say), I feel that reviewers have over-praised “Us” and
neglected to look more closely at its failings. These failings are
huge as once we know the truth of the tethered, the reality of the
situation does not work. You cannot help but question what would
happen to the tethered if certain other things happened to their
human double; the explanation just does not work, which means neither
does the film. Also if anyone was surprised by the film's final
twist, then they just have not watched enough horror movies, as this
was anything other than a surprise.
I understand that the above paragraph my not be the
greatest, but I am trying to be considerate of spoilers for those who
have yet to see the film. Let me just say that for the first half of
“Us”, it is an excellent and chilling horror film. It is
beautifully shot and scored particularly well, however when it begins
to explain exactly what the deal is in regards to the film's
antagonists, it falls apart dramatically, and never recovers. The
reason why I believe the film is overrated is due to the fact that
reviewers are sensitive to the message “Us” is trying to project,
and as such are praising it wholeheartedly due to that message rather
than critiquing the film for its very obvious narrative failings.
Don't get me wrong, I do like “Us” but it is definitely
overrated.
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