If anybody watched ‘Get Out’ (I think that would be a very small margin of movie viewers at this point who haven’t) then you may have wondered whether Jordan Peele was a one trick pony or a future auteur of cinema. Either way, that movie made you feel SOMETHING. Also being Jordan’s directorial debut, it’s one hell of a film. I’m here to safely say that he is definitely one of the most creatively fun directors behind the camera working today. Because just like his prior film, ‘Us’ works the audience into feeling something too. Its themes are deep and its characters are complex. I can imagine many are going to need to view it more than once to fully realize its message. Where Get Out saw Peele flex his horror muscle with social commentary layered beneath, ‘Us’ is more interested in the horror and imagery. The kind of stuff that sticks in your head when the lights are off. The kind of creepy performances you can’t unsee.

Lupita Nyong’o is an absolute treasure and the movies scene stealer. It’s the most dedication to a role steeped in dread, fear and raw emotion since Toni Collette in last year’s ‘Hereditary’. She seems to have the most to do and she’s working double time to play an unhinged lunatic as well as a protective mother. Lupita has a way of carrying herself that is even eerie. She could be a dead ringer for future films in this genre cause at times she can be generally unnerving in her role. The premise is cliche on the surface which sees a family of four take a vacation to their vacation home on the boardwalk coast. All is well on their retreat until mysterious things begin to happen to the family. Jordan Peele’s ability to build a sense of unease is quite brilliant in the first act because while not a whole lot happens, you still feel eerily connected to the things happening and how it will pay off.

It could easily be mistaken from the trailers and early on that this is a home invasion film. Something akin to ‘The Strangers’ per se. But you’d be wrong. It surprised me how much more of Jordan Peele’s world unfolded on screen compared to ‘Get Out’. The concepts at play here are more interpretive then the former as well. This is why I imagine it will be rewatched by many to truly scrutinize its meaning. This isn’t to say that the film isn’t direct at all, it just makes you work a little harder to connect the dots is all. I found myself thinking of the small subtle moments in The Shining that just display a sense of dread without the need for jump scares. It’s masterfully directed and clear that Jordan’s influences are right on his sleeve. The music cues are wonderfully timed and even playful when they need to be. In fact, Winston Duke as the father is clearly the comedic backbone of the movie. Often providing levity in the form of Dad jokes. It works though and never undermines the creepiness throughout.

Like all great horror directors, there’s always more than just blood and guts to their pictures. There’s a message. A backbone. A theme. George A Romero found ways to make zombie movies that reflected American consumerism at its core. The ability to weave personal belief or a larger message in the context of horrifying imagery and scares is something Peele has in droves. It may not spark the social conversation that ‘Get Out’ left viewers having after leaving the theater, but it may make you keep your light on at night. It’s a damn fun scary ride, you just got to work a little harder at appreciating it then his past work. The devil truly is in the details.

– Josh