Us - NON-SPOILER REVIEW

[Darth Knox]

PLEASE NOTE - THE FOLLOWING IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF THE MOVIE. I WILL NOT REVEAL ANY MAJOR PLOT POINTS FROM THE MOVIE.


“If you want to get crazy, we can get crazy”

What is it about comedians that makes them able to tap into the inherent darkness that we are human beings possess? Look at Robin Williams performance in One Hour Photo or Jim Carrey’s performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

As on half of successful comedy duo Key and Peele, Jordan Peele is very slowly and successfully forging out a new career as a director within the horror genre. His first film Get Out was critically acclaimed and won him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. He is currently developing a reboot of iconic 90s film Candyman as well as being the lead on the new version of The Twilight Zone. But before any of that comes his new film.

The trailers for this new movie got many people excited, so much so that it was given the honour of being chosen to open the annual South by South West film festival (which is a big deal in cinema critic circles).

With a cast including two alums from 2018 smash Black Panther, along with the good buzz following his satirical horror movie Get Out, will he fall victim to “second album syndrome” or will the movie live up to expectations?

THE STORY
Husband and wife Gabe (Winston Duke) and Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) take their children (Evan Alex and Shahadi Wright Joseph) to their beach house, hoping to spend time with their friends. The peace and serenity soon turns to tension and chaos when a group of evil strangers who look exactly like the Wilson family arrive.

OVERALL OPINION
Love for the horror genre, like most other movie genres, is cyclical. However, it does seem as though in the past 7 or 8 years that horror has had a much needed renaissance. Gone are the buckets of blood, gore and torture porn to be replaced with tightly scripted, well shot and acted, tense psychological horror. These films follow the tradition of the genre in that they do not have a huge budget, as that is unnecessary. Their primary goal is to get you to care about the characters which makes the scares all the more effective when they start.

One of the things that made Get Out such a brilliant film was that it wasn’t presented as a traditional horror movie. The trailers for US made it obvious that there would be some horror elements in the film, but as with Get Out, it’s fair to say that Jordan Peele has once again given us a non-traditional horror movie. One that is filled with a lot of tension and drama, but with deft touches of humour that help alleviate scenes at times.

All the actors in the family had to do dual roles and handled with the required creepiness and uneasiness that draws into this bizarre situation. Even though the film is about a family, this is definitely Lupita N’Yongo’s film. She carries a lot of the film on her performance. Elisabeth Moss (who some may recognise from The Handmaid’s Tale) is also a standout as the story expands to encompass more than just this one family.

It would definitely be unfair for anyone to go in expecting Get Out 2.0. This is a very different film and doesn’t have any of the social commentary that was so prevalent in Get Out. As this is only Jordan Peele’s second film, he has handily avoided second album syndrome by giving us a well paced, well acted, tense psychological horror that avoids a lot of the cliches of the genre and constantly has you trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

I am usually one who prefers, nay demands, absolute silence from an audience during a movie (unless it’s a comedy of course). Going to the cinema in America would be very difficult for me as I’ve heard there tends to be a lot of audience participation during film (talking at the screen, talking in general etc). This is the first time I have experienced such a phenomena in the UK. As I went to an 11pm over 18s showing, the cinema was about a quarter full with a largely black audience who, thankfully, knew when to be vocal and when to shut up. For this film in particular it did add to the immersive viewing experience, although it’s not something I wish to happen on a regular basis.

For those who may not be fans of the horror genre I would say it’s worth a see. As previously mentioned, the days of cheap jump scares and buckets of gore are gone. This harkens back to the creative days of horror where the horror comes from the tense nature of the situation. And it was a pleasure to see characters not doing inexplicably stupid things that occasionally plagues horror movies. All in all, a very good Twilight Zone-esque movie from a director who is rapidly making his mark on the genre.


THE PERFORMANCES
Lupita Nyong’o - Adelaide Wilson
A stand-out performance from the Oscar winning actress. This is a timely reminder of just how talented a performer she is and how she is wasted in a lot of the roles she is in (Maz Kanata immediately springs to mind).

Winston Duke - Gabe Wilson
Following up his stand-out performance as M”Baku in Black Panther with this more grounded down-to-earth dad character showed that there is a lot more to Winston Duke. He was a joy to watch and his deft touches of humour were totally in-keeping with the “dad joke” persona of the character.

Evan Alex - Jason Wilson
The youngest member of the family did a good job in what, I imagine, is his first role. He wasn’t annoying or insufferable (as kids can sometimes be in these movies).

Shahadi Wright Joseph - Zora Wilson
She more than held her own against more experienced actors. Her performance was very natural, funny when called on, with some sassy and badass moments that made her a crowd favourite.

Elisabeth Moss - Kitty Tyler
A small role, but she was definitely memorable.


OTHER STUFF
The Tension/Horror
Horror can be designed to affect viewers in a number of ways; make you hold your breath without realising it, heart beating fast, gripping the chair tightly. The horror in this movie is handled perfectly, avoiding a lot of cliches and using tension well without dragging it out unnecessarily.

The Action
Being a horror movie the action tends to be around attacks and kills. There was the perfect amount in this movie and all of it was believable, without veering into unrealistic superhuman feats of strength/survival.

The Pacing
Despite the run time the movie moved along at a perfect pace, allowing plenty of time for things to calm down a little so the audience could catch its breath.

The Score/Soundtrack
I’m not one to really notice musical score in movies unless it is truly exceptional. I wouldn’t say this score was outstanding, but I certainly noticed it in a number of scenes (not in a bad way). Although, there was one piece that was used a number of times throughout that initially I thought didn’t fit; it seemed almost like something from a 1970s horror movie. But as the movie worn on it worked better and made sense.

Other stuff
There was some creative uses of camera movement that really helped many scenes feel alive while waiting for the next scare.

FINAL VERDICT
Second film done and it is great. I don’t think US will hit the same heights as Get Out, nor does it need to. It is definitely it’s own thing and will definitely be another hit for its director and Blumhouse Pictures. Enjoyable to watch with a crowd and I wouldn’t mind seeing it again to see how it plays a second time.


Run time - 2h 01m
Rotten Tomatoes critics score (at time of writing) - 95%
My Score: 8/10    

MY MOVIE RATING SYSTEM
10- Citizen F*%king Kane (A+)
 9-  Bloody Great (A)
 8-  Really rather good (A-)
 7-  Pretty decent (B+)
 6-  Definitely above average (B)
 5- Middle of the road average (C)
 4- Mediocre (D)
 3- Meh (E)
 2- Crap (F)
 1- Why the hell did I waste my time and money on this abomination (Unrated)

[Darth Knox]

Here is something that will make some people feel old: the actresses who played Rachel's daughter in Friends appear in this movie. They're twins and are now 16 yrs old in real life.

https://www.etonline.com/babies-that-played-rachel-daughter-emma-on-friends-in-jordan-peeles-us-121917

[Darth Tepes]

The Trailers for this intrigued me.  I won't be able to go to the theater to see it but will definitely watch Redbox for it.  Talking is not condoned in American theaters either but American audiences are more likely to cheer at things (Thor arriving in Wakanda for instance.)

[Darth Knox]

Talking is not condoned in American theaters either but American audiences are more likely to cheer at things (Thor arriving in Wakanda for instance.)

It may not be condoned, but from a lot of the stories i've heard on Screen Junkies, Collider etc, it seems like it's a common occurrence. I don't mind laughing at a joke or cheering for Thor arriving in Wakanda, but people should know when to reel it in and shut up so we can continue following the story on screen.

It's funny, I enjoyed watching the youtube video documenting fans reaction from around the world to Thor arriving in Wakanda. However, as much s that is one of my favourite parts of the movie, that level of cheering would have annoyed me in the cinema (where I went to watch, you could tell people loved it, but were keeping a lot of the vocal emotions inside. Must be the Britishness of us all).

[Darth Tepes]

It may not be condoned, but from a lot of the stories i've heard on Screen Junkies, Collider etc, it seems like it's a common occurrence. I don't mind laughing at a joke or cheering for Thor arriving in Wakanda, but people should know when to reel it in and shut up so we can continue following the story on screen.

It's funny, I enjoyed watching the youtube video documenting fans reaction from around the world to Thor arriving in Wakanda. However, as much s that is one of my favourite parts of the movie, that level of cheering would have annoyed me in the cinema (where I went to watch, you could tell people loved it, but were keeping a lot of the vocal emotions inside. Must be the Britishness of us all).

Area's and audiences differ, if that has been their experience then i feel sorry for them.  IME the few times someone was talking loudly they were either ejected or shushed.  I have heard that about Brits.  Having not met a British person in real life I can not call on any personal experiences.  I won't say I am overtly loud, generally, but As and American AND a Southerner....I don't hold back from my anger or joy.  Of course it can get me looks...like when I saw 300 and was laughing manically during the battle scenes.  What can I say.....I like fighting.

[Infinit01]

Good review there, Knox.

[tx_tuff]

Here is something that will make some people feel old: the actresses who played Rachel's daughter in Friends appear in this movie. They're twins and are now 16 yrs old in real life.

https://www.etonline.com/babies-that-played-rachel-daughter-emma-on-friends-in-jordan-peeles-us-121917

This makes sense (being twins) because babies on TV shows, at least here in America have to be twins. I guess they need to switch then out often.

I agree with a lot your review, but I thought the two children out acted the parents so I disagree with you on that. Maybe I just like their characters better.

I did think there were times when things would happen that just wouldn't happen (can't go into it here) and that it took away from the movie a little.

Also not as much tense or on the edge of your seat moments for me. For example the Netflix show Ozark (while not a horror show) keep me tense and on the edge of my seat ask the time.

Overall the movie was good and worth going to see in a theater, don't think it would be as good at home.

We have a theater here call Alamo Drafthouse and they have a zero tolerance on crowd noise (unless it's a laugh or gasp). But they also have movie parties and sing alongs for fun stuff too.

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[Darth Knox]

Also not as much tense or on the edge of your seat moments for me.

I have a unique relationship with horror. I've been watching horror movies since I was 8 yrs old, many of which I was way too young to see at the time. However, instead of being scarred for life (as would normally happen) I developed a lifelong love for the genre. I actively sought out horror movies on tv and devoured the books by Stephen King and James Herbert. This has caused me to rarely flinch while watching horror movies. Even tense scenes only partially affect me. I've never experienced being on the edge of my seat or gripping the chair harder.

I suppose I am a hard audience to please when it comes to horror, which is why I'm usually very impressed and happy when I come across an effective horror movie. But that's just me.

I've found myself thinking back to certain scenes in the movie since I watched it. There are a couple parts where I could point out things that don't make sense, but that's after the fact, really analysing it. All movies have one or two issues with them if you really sit and think about them. In this instance though, it makes me want to watch the movie a second time.

[tx_tuff]

I have a unique relationship with horror. I've been watching horror movies since I was 8 yrs old, many of which I was way too young to see at the time. However, instead of being scarred for life (as would normally happen) I developed a lifelong love for the genre. I actively sought out horror movies on tv and devoured the books by Stephen King and James Herbert. This has caused me to rarely flinch while watching horror movies. Even tense scenes only partially affect me. I've never experienced being on the edge of my seat or gripping the chair harder.

I suppose I am a hard audience to please when it comes to horror, which is why I'm usually very impressed and happy when I come across an effective horror movie. But that's just me.

I've found myself thinking back to certain scenes in the movie since I watched it. There are a couple parts where I could point out things that don't make sense, but that's after the fact, really analysing it. All movies have one or two issues with them if you really sit and think about them. In this instance though, it makes me want to watch the movie a second time.

How old are you? When I was a child we were lucky enough to get cable TV, had to be in its early stages. I was the youngest of 3 children and just about all we watched was horror stuff. The only movies that really bothered me even back then was The Shining (really just the lady in the bathtub), and The Exorcist. I even got a Ouija board when I was around 11 or 12.

Anyway I can't remember the last time I flinched, I know it wasn't a movie. I guess what I mean by tense or edge of your seat I really mean actually worried for the person in the movie.

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[Darth Tepes]

I had a weird relationship with Horror.  Growing up in the American South, supernatural stories are rampart, not to mention personal experiences.  No movie has ever matched the creepy factor I've experienced in real life.  The Slasher flicks also didn't phase me.

[Darth Knox]

How old are you?

Over 21  

I'll be 42 in April.

When I was a child we were lucky enough to get cable TV, had to be in its early stages. I was the youngest of 3 children and just about all we watched was horror stuff. The only movies that really bothered me even back then was The Shining (really just the lady in the bathtub), and The Exorcist. I even got a Ouija board when I was around 11 or 12.

Remember, I live in the UK. So our broadcasting is very different to yours. My parents had no problem with us (my sisters or brother) watching horror. They were more concerned with things of a sexual nature. So blood n gore, decapitations, mutilations, spells and body transformations were fine, but boobs? Boobs were a no-no! LOL

I remember, everyone in the family owned their own video tape, so I would set the timer on the VCR to record horror movies that were showing while I was asleep. I would then watch them the next day after school or on the weekend. When I was about 12 there was a great tv show called Moviedrome. It was hosted by director Alex Cox. It was very similar to the show in the movie Fright Night. Each week they would pick a movie and then spend 30 mins before the movie talking about the filming of the movie, the director, the lnfluence on the genre etc etc. Basically extra features before dvd extras were ever a thing. It was this show where I first saw movies like Alien, The Fly, The Thing, Videodrome, A Clockwork Orange, American Werewolf in London, Frankenstein, The House of Wax (original), The Swarm. This one show is directly responsible for my deeper love and appreciation of cinema, as well as my love of horror.

And, of course, how could we forget to mention Blockbuster? Blockbuster really helped expand the amount of horror movies I had access to. I lost count of the amount of times I talked my dad into renting a horror, by selling him on the inherent entertainment value, the actors, the directors etc. I worked about 70% of the time.

I had a weird relationship with Horror.  Growing up in the American South, supernatural stories are rampart, not to mention personal experiences.  No movie has ever matched the creepy factor I've experienced in real life.  The Slasher flicks also didn't phase me.

As with any movie, I just want to be entertained. Obviously the way i want to be entertained from sci-fi will differ from horror. But I still want to be entertained. Like I said, I haven't ever really been scared by a horror movie. Which is fine.

[For Tyeth]

When I was about 12 there was a great tv show called Moviedrome. It was hosted by director Alex Cox. It was very similar to the show in the movie Fright Night. Each week they would pick a movie and then spend 30 mins before the movie talking about the filming of the movie, the director, the lnfluence on the genre etc etc. Basically extra features before dvd extras were ever a thing. It was this show where I first saw movies like Alien, The Fly, The Thing, Videodrome, A Clockwork Orange, American Werewolf in London, Frankenstein, The House of Wax (original), The Swarm. This one show is directly responsible for my deeper love and appreciation of cinema, as well as my love of horror.

Hi Darth Knox, I recall this show too, one of the best things on Channel 4 and I saw all the films you mentioned.

[Darth Knox]

Hi Darth Knox, I recall this show too, one of the best things on Channel 4 and I saw all the films you mentioned.

It was great wasn't it. I remember them showing American Graffiti and THX-1138 and being blown away that George Lucas had directed something other than Star Wars. They did a Hammer horror season which was amazing. I think they even did a body horror season (which was pretty much David Lynch and David Cronenberg films) which included Scanners!! How great is Scanners.

[For Tyeth]

Hi again,

Yep I remember those specials too. Seeing American Graffiti was "unusual" but I seem to recall they had Manhunter and The Dead Zone on it too. Not necessarily horror films but Walken is al....ways....a....goodwatch!

[Darth Knox]

HOLY SHIRT!! I totally forgot about the Dead Zone. Great movie, reuniting Walken with Martin Sheen.

Unfortunately, thanks to dvds/bluray and now streaming, a lot of movies like those are not being experienced by the new generation. I keep saying that a show like Moviedrome would be a huge hit these days, if they could adapt the format to work on Netflix/YouTube/streaming. And could find the right presenter.