Us
Ten Second Review: If you’re hoping for a Get Out sequel then this isn’t it. Little links the two other than being in the horror genre but if you’re down for some great horror this will definitely hit that note.
As soon as I was aware that Jordan Peele was working on another horror film I was extremely excited. Could he repeat the magic of Get Out and what would he choose to address with this new film? Would he just leave out any kind of commentary and just make a crazy scary off the wall film with no message other than “I know what scares you”! I’m glad to say that he manages to do a bit of all of these things.
Beginning in 1986, we see a young Adelaide (played by Lupita Nyong’o for most the film) at the fair in Santa Cruz. After briefly getting separated from her family she enters a hall of mirrors and sees herself, or at least a version of herself. She is irreparably changed and goes on through her life carrying the weight of that experience. Fast forward to now, we see Adelaide with her family at their holiday home near Santa Cruz. After a tense day on the beach that she was once lost on, - some mysterious figures appear outside the family’s home. Who are they? What do they want? And what will they do to get it?
I tried to give a very brief outline of the film to spare any plot details ruining watching the film. From here on there will be spoilers and discussion about the plot so if want to go in clean (and I suggest you do) stop reading.
I tried to go into the film as blind as possible. I tried to not see any of the trailers or read any headlines about the film to avoid any info that might seep into the way I watched it or give away any twists. I’m quite glad that I did because it really let my mind wander through the plot as it played out and not half guessing from tid-bits I’d read or seen.
The first glaring thing that has to be said is that this is not Get Out and that’s not a bad thing. I don’t hugely think the two can be compared but if I was pushed I would say that this is scarier but that Get Out has a better pay off. I also think this film is little more heady with a plot that has a more vague message that lets your mind explore the plot in several different ways whereas I would say the message in Get Out is slightly more clear and linear which is why the pay off may seem greater.
With the inevitable comparison now set aside, I loved this film. There were points where it was so tense you feel sick and points where it was so funny or absurd that you felt sick. If you look at Peele’s work over the years you can see a deep love of film and television (not to mention music but we’ll get to that). This film was no different. You could see him drawing on a whole host of references and sub genres with a welcome introduction of a clear “slasher film” influence. It was interesting to see a distinctly modern take on the slasher aesthetic.
I will say that there are some flaws, or at least very big questions, in this film. Unsurprisingly, my main ones involve the tethered and more specifically their relation to the above grounders. While the message of nurture-over-nature is quite clear this isn’t flawlessly presented. I can easily accept that Red has forgotten that she was a tethered and that Adeleaide had been living in the underworld for all those years but the problem arises when the other tethered realised she was different or “special”. The other tethered see some quality in Adelaide but is this because she was in fact an above grounder. Doesn’t this suggest that the environment only does so much and that there must be some base characteristic of the tethered and above grounders that separates them for each other?
I would also add that I’m a little confused with how the uprising could happen at all. If the tethered are doomed to follow the actions of their counterparts then how did they manage to stop this and rise up? This leads to questioning whether the tethered are doomed to copy/follow by nature of being the tethered or because they are underground? Maybe a better way to present the question is to ask, why did the two girls switch places in the sense of who controlled the other when they switched positions?
I will say that the basic idea of this plot is amazing and its only when I thought about it for a little too long that I started to pick apart any of these possible holes. The notion of a literal underclass of people forced to do what their counterparts are doing, paired with the analogy of one’s environment affecting they’re outlook and overall quality of life, was a great message and was told incredibly well.
I also need to talk about two of the biggest highlights of the film; the incredible soundtrack and the amazing performance form Lupita Nyong’o. The music is easily one of the best scores and soundtracks I have heard in a while. It was occasionally a touch hammy but for the most part it was incredibly successful at creating eerie and uncomfortable feelings and then switching the tone to incredibly funny moments. It was, in every sense, a celebration of how music can be used in film and in horror specifically.
Nyong’o’s performance was also a masterclass. While all the family members really sold their tethered counterparts, Nyong’o killed it will one of the best doppleganger roles I think I’ve ever seen. She was two different people and, while the whole cast was great, she really stands out throughout the film and I’m sure this performance will be remembered (hauntingly) by everyone who sees it.
There are honestly so many details about this film that I loved and so much that could be said about it. I think this has already ended up as difficult to understand mess so I might just stop here.
If you read on through the review and want to know whether you should see it, I would say that you definitely should. It’s not perfect and I’m sure many people will guess certain things that will happen throughout but it is such a good piece of cinema. What this film does best is really make you excited for whatever Jordan Peele, his team and Lupita Nyong’o do next. Don’t miss this one!
Bring on The Twighlight Zone.
