Jordan Peele has done it again After his first directors debut 2 years ago, I did not know what to expect from his second movie, US. Jordan Peele managed to make a name for himself back in 2017 by creating a refreshingly new and unique horror movie brining horror fans around the globe to marvel and discuss his award winning movie.
When I heard he was making a new movie, I had mixed feelings. After he spent many years writing get out, he had managed to write a new movie in less than a year. Many talented directors make the common mistake of rushing their second movie and not putting their soul into it, resulting in a disappointing second movie, which can damage their careers as the first two movies are crucial part of becoming a visionary modern phenomenon.
However I should have not been worried. Jordan Peele seems to have mastered the act of filmmaking in a short period of time. His second movie is quite frankly, as good, or even better in some aspects than his first movie.
Us is a movie that explores one of the biggest fears of Jordan Peele's mind. What happens if you could see, yourself? He puts his fear on the big screen in a fresh and disturbing way, due to his unique writing and directing skills, and everyone else who worked on the movie with a clear passion for what they do. But the performances of the actors within this movie were exceptional.
All the actors in the movie did a fantastic job. There was not a single moment where I was pulled out of the movie because of a slip up or unconvincing portrayal of one's character. But there was an actor, or should I say actress whose performance is worthy of winning an Oscar.
Lupita Nyong'o's performance is not one I will be forgetting anytime soon. Portraying a single role requires a copious amount of experience, dedication, and perseverance. But due to the nature of the movie, she had to deal with playing the characters of two characters in one movie. Both of which felt completely different from the other, with Adelaide being relatable and human, and red sending shivers down your spine, the two characters couldn't be any more different.
The soundtrack was perfected too. Michael Abels, a 56 year old musician's first movie was get out, which he delivered a simplistic but memorable score, but with US, he managed to create such a disturbed masterpiece which suits the movie perfectly. It is a score that will burden your head for the next couple of days after seeing the movie.
From what I'm saying so far, this review seems to be a subjective 10/10. Not quite. The movie does have its flaws, which I cannot get into details due to spoilers, but one thing I would like to talk about is the ambiguity of the movie.
This movie is NOT for everyone. If you're looking for a movie to fill your 2 hours with a little bit of horror, this movie may not be what you're looking for. There are barely any jump scares throughout the movie, and the movie is very ambiguous. If you do not pay attention, the movie will not make any sense. This is a movie that requires you to pay all your attention, to every little detail, every little conversation, and one which is designed to spark conversations and debates. If you do not like the idea of having to figure out key parts of the movie on your own, this may not be for you.
Overall this movie has everything that most horror fans will appreciate, but does get a little too ambiguous at times which could cause confusion amongst casual audience goers.
8/10