Jordan Peele has made a name for himself in the film industry through his fresh and distinctive horror film style which highlights African-American culture and includes unpredictable twists and turns, while offering symbolism to promote deeper thinking.
Written, produced and directed by Peele himself, “Us” is the latest addition to Peele’s horror movie family. This time around, he brings us a predominantly black cast starring Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex and “Black Panther” stars Winston Duke and Lupita Nyong’o as the Wilson family, a casting direction that is often unheard of in Hollywood.
His first film, “Get Out” released in 2017 and won numerous awards for its chilling mixture of horror and race relations between African-Americans and Caucasians; not to mention its symbolism of privilege, identity and control.
Peele’s new film has already broken records with $29 million in box office sales on Friday alone and is expected to pass “Get Out” in sales, which is considered “the second biggest R rated film ever,” by Forbes.
The film takes place in Santa Cruz, California, but this movie is no cheerful walk down the boardwalk. The Wilson family’s vacation starts to take a turn when creepy dopplegängers in red suits decide to wreak havoc, sending the town into turmoil and forcing the Wilsons to fight for their lives.
Peele takes a different approach this time, giving viewers much more gore, giving “US” a darker, twisted feel than “Get Out.”
With the trailer providing such a small amount of information to what the movie is really about, it presents the idea that there is much more beneath the surface. On a deeper level, “Us” touches us as individuals as well as us as both a united and divided nation.
Similar to “Get Out,” there are plenty of easter eggs throughout the film; viewers should pay close attention to the little things they notice and connect them to the deeper theme showcased throughout the film.
If you’re looking for a horror thriller that actually scares you, has you on the edge of your seat and makes you think twice afterward, “Us” is a must see. With this film, Peele shows us just how much more horrifying he can get and that a new wave of horror films is on the rise.