“Us” provides twists, turns, and unforgettable ending
May 28, 2019
With brilliant acting, clever writing, and one of the best soundtracks from the last decade, “Us” deserved its Rotten Tomatoes score of 94 percent. After how groundbreaking director Jordan Peele’s first film, “Get Out,” was, I tried to manage my high expectations.
Fast forward two hours. See me, visibly shaking, nearly crashing the car I was so distracted (kidding). Remember how intense the last 10 minutes of “Get Out” were? That fear and adrenaline coursing through you at 80 mph? Triple that, and imagine it constantly growing as the plot of “Us” unfolds. Then, with a double plot twist and Lupita Nyong’o’s perfectly crafted smirk, it ends. I still haven’t fully wrapped my head around the ending, and I don’t think I ever will. It was that good.
If you haven’t seen “Us,” and can stomach some gore and mind games, watch it. If you haven’t even heard of it, here’s a quick synopsis. Adorable, relatable family with Winston Duke (M’Baku from “Black Panther”) as the father, and Nyong’o as the mother. Nyong’o’s character, Adelaide, struggles with facing her childhood trauma when she returns to the same beach where it occurred. Shortly after arriving and having a humor filled day, things begin to unravel. Mysterious ‘neighbors’ show up, who appear to be the mirror image of each person in the family. As the night progresses and the family faces a slew of horrors and battles, more secrets are revealed. The reason behind the protagonist’s struggle goes so much deeper than the superficial zombie, haunted house, or slasher horror movie. Despite this, jokes, like the Beach Boys coming on when characters are in the midst of a bloody fight scene, still shine through. It is this humor contrasted with shocking gore and a complex plot that makes “Us” not only a great horror film, but a great movie period.