‘Us’ Review: Jordan Peele Delivers A Masterful Horror Film Led By Lupita Nyong’o

Jordan Peele began his plans for world domination in 2017 with the launch of his first film, Get Out, a social thriller intended to turn heads. The themes handled by the film made it an overnight cultural phenomenon. So much so that fans of the film immediately began on a mission to decipher the hidden meanings and symbolism of Get Out. The film was absolutely brilliant, giving a breath of fresh air to the dying genre of horror. Sure, Get Out wasn’t a horror film per se, but it definitely scared the crap out of a lot of folks. It also won Jordan Peele his first Academy Award for Best Screenplay and fans wondered what the comedian-turned-director would do next.

In 2018, Jordan Peele finally announced his first follow-up project after the success of Get Out and it was revealed that the film was titled Us and would star Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke. The first trailer for Us hit the internet and delighted fans of Jordan Peele because it was revealed to be a straight-up horror film and it made people want to see exactly what the director could do without any limits. And the film does exactly that. I got the chance to check out Us at a screening in New York this past Friday and when I tell you that it was the most intense theatrical experience I’ve ever had, it isn’t an exaggeration.

Us is different than any horror film I’ve ever seen. Ιf you take films like Friday the 13th, Halloween, The Exorcist, The Conjuring, The Blair Witch Project and Get Out and you put them all in a bag to combine them to make the perfect horror film, you’ll want to throw the bag out the window because you won’t even be close to the genius of Us. It’s simply the most out-of-the-box horror film of the past decade and it does this by delivering a powerful message to society. The evil in society is within ourselves and it is up to us to stop it from taking over.

The film stars Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o and Black Panther breakout Winston Duke. The two are riding high off of Black Panther‘s wins at the Oscars and this was just the film to push their careers to the next level, with Jordan Peele bringing out the best performances I’ve ever seen from each actor. When the pair work off of each other it’s smooth as butter, but what elevates the film is a stellar performance by Lupita Nyong’o. The actress delivers what I believe is her best performance to date. Her dual role is shockingly intense and elevates the insane creepiness of Us. Now that’s not saying that Winston Duke didn’t do his thing. He was great, but Lupita Nyong’o simply has you in the palm of her hand from the moment her character appears on screen.

The young actors of the film aren’t any slouches either. The film introduces us to Evan Alex and Shahadi Wright Joseph as Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke’s children. Alex and Joseph give Us the most realistic interpretation of what African-American children would actually do in a horror situation and they’re pretty fantastic. As you all know, the actors all play dual roles in the film. Their doppelgängers are sinister, raw and always do the unthinkable. The thing that makes them even scarier is that they’re just an evil version of themselves and due to that fact they know every move they’re planning on making, you never know how things will turn out. The film has a big twist that you might expect, but the way it unfolds shows off the mastery of Jordan Peele and I look forward to what his genius leads him to next.

Overall Thoughts: Us is horrifying, thought-provoking and will definitely invoke people to search into the deeper meanings of it. Lupita Nyong’o hones her craft masterfully and leads this masterpiece of a film with the highest level of skill. Us is the best horror film of all time. The way it perfectly intertwines comedy and horror shows us exactly why Jordan Peele is the new king of horror. Hit the theater to check this out as soon as possible and avoid all spoilers. Us is the real deal.

Rating: 10/10

Honorable Mention: The way the score of the film utilizes the scary chopped and screwed version of Luniz’s “I Got 5 on It” will probably give you nightmares. If you liked it in the trailer, I Got 5 on It is maximized on a much larger scale in the movie.