Us: It's Got Me Seeing Double

I'm going to preface this review by saying that I haven't seen Get Out. I know, I know, I should. I just never got the chance. This is kind of tough because I can't really compare it to any of Jordan Peele's other films since this one is his second. I also want to say that this review is going to be kind of all over the place because I've never had an experience with a film like I've had with Us. It's completely different from what I thought it was going to be. The things I like are kind of linked to some things I didn't really like. With all of that out of the way, let's dive into the review!

Us is directed by Jordan Peele and stars Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex. When a family decide to go on a vacation, it turns into a nightmare when a group of doppelgangers show up to terrorize them. With that out of the way, let's dive into it!

Like I mentioned before, this movie is very unique and I think a lot of people will be divided on it. With that being said, I think the one thing everyone will agree on is that the performances were phenomenal. The standout is Nyong'o, who plays Adelaide Wilson. She's very interesting because she feels that, for most of her life, she has been followed by this alternate version of herself. She kind of reminded me of Brody from Jaws. Like him, Adelaide had an experience and no one really believes her. Nyong'o did a fantastic job giving the audience a layered performance. I also really liked the family, too. Gabe Wilson (Duke) was great. He provided most of the comic relief, while trying to protect his family. I also really liked the kids, Jason and Zora (Alex and Joseph). They did a great job. I really liked Jason because he's kind of an outsider and keeps to himself, much like his mother. What's even tougher for the cast of this movie is that, not only do they have to play their normal characters, but they have to play the doppelganger, or ¨tethered¨ version of themselves. I can't imagine what the actors had to do be able to pull this off. Another thing that I consider a positive is the score by Michael Abels. It's beautiful. Like the film itself, it's different. I also really liked the cinematography of the movie. There's a scene towards the end that's beautifully shot. I won't give it away, but it's amazing.

I mentioned earlier that there is humor in this movie. Most of it works and I laughed quite a bit, but at times I was questioning why it was there. It seemed a little out of place for this movie, but at the same time, it worked really well. I felt a little guilty at the situations I was laughing at. It was an interesting choice by Peele and I kind of admire the decision to put it there. I think one reason I thought it was off putting was because Us, according to the trailers, is supposed to be a horror movie. I was never really scared at all. It was more of a thriller than a horror film. Besides a beautifully executed scene at the end (more on the ending later), there was never a time when I felt uncomfortable. It was suspenseful. If you're going into this movie expecting a terrifying experience, you might be disappointed.

Again, I have to apologize that this review is so out of wack. It's just that I've never experienced a movie like this before and there are so many things to process. It's hard to peg them as a negative or a positive. While I was watching the movie, I was anticipating something to happen because the plot was kind repetitive. The family went to one place and they got attacked. They left and got attacked again. Then the ending happened. I remember writing in my review for Glass that the ending kind of ruined the film. With Us, it's a completely different story. The ending made look at what happened in the previous hour and forty minutes in a whole new light. It was incredible. Things that I was a little unsure of made sense and the movie was made all the better for it. Everything that happened had a different meaning. I've never seen a movie do that before. At first, I was kind of mad. Now, having thought about it for a while, I admire what Peele did. It's hard to write this review because I feel like I need to see this movie again to appreciate it more than I do now and to really look at it.

At this point in the review, I would give a recap of what I previously mentioned. It's tough to do that with this movie because there's so many points I made that are linked to eachother. The performances, particularly Nyong'o's, are phenomenal, the music and cinematography are great, and the ending completely changed the movie for me. I would list negatives here, but I'm honestly not sure that I would put because I'm still processing it. It's not necessarily a horror film, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I want to say the humor, but even then, I'm not sure because it worked. I have to tip my hat to Peele for making a film that was very different. There are a lot of layers. I feel like I need to see it again to truly appreciate Peele's creation, but if I were to rate Us right now, I'd give it an 8.5/10.