Reviews

"Us" Keeps you scared and guessing

Editor Amber Howle

The movie “Us’, by Jordan Peele is a psychological thriller/mystery that debuted March 22nd, 2019. “Us” dives deep into the life of Adelaide Wilson, who suffered from a traumatic event at the age of seven. In the very beginning it shows a family of three, Adelaide, her mother, and her father at the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Adelaide’s mother asks for her father to watch her, but Adelaide wanders off anyways. She enters a Funhouse and gets a bit lost. She stands facing away from a mirror but when she turns around, her reflection is facing away from her. We see Adelaide with a very fearful expression on her face as the doppelganger turns around to face her. Then we see Adelaide and her family in a therapist’s office. Adelaide plays quietly while her parents argue with the therapists about her lack of speech and her abrupt stop of communication with them.

We fast forward to a new family of four in a car on a road trip. The family includes Adelaide, her husband Gabe, and her two children Zora and Jason. The family plans to get to their vacation house and go to the beach. Adelaide is very sceptical of the beach after her incident as a young child, but Gabe insists and Adelaide eventually agrees.

We see a crowded beach and two families together, Adelaide's and their friends the Tyler’s. As Adelaide and Kitty Tyler talk, Adelaide realizes that her son Jason is not on the beach. She starts to yell for him and the families scramble the beach to find him. Jason returns and we see Adelaide scolding him and saying not to do it again. The Wilsons decide to leave the beach and go back to their vacation home.

As the Wilson’s settle down for bed, Adelaide tells Gabe about her experience on the beach as a child. Gabe doesn’t believe her until the power goes out and Jason comes into the room and says there is a family in their driveway. This is only the beginning of what is to come for the Wilson family.

“Us’ by Jordan Peele is a psychological masterpiece. The movies plot is a complete twist and is very interesting. The actors portray the characters in a way that made them become very likeable to me. I didn’t want to see anything bad happen to them because their portrayal made me feel attached to them.

Jordan Peele really made me think during this movie. I had to decipher things and felt inclined to figure out what was going on. The plot flows really well and works hard to keep you guessing on what will happen next.

The setting also conveys the plot well. An unassuming Santa Cruz Boardwalk and a quiet summer home ready for a family are very homey feel which pushes the plot along.

In conclusion, Jordan Peele’s “Us” is a cinematic masterpiece. It tells a complex tale of a family in their darkest moments and a world plunged into chaos. Everything fits together so well and Peele really grabs the viewers attention. Grossing 85.1 million dollars in less than a week, “Us” has been an absolute hit in the eyes of the public and in the cinematic universe. This movie made the two hours and eight dollars worth all the while. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes a horror, thriller, or psychologically inclined movie.