Us
A family’s serene beach vacation turns to chaos when their doppelgängers appear and begin to terrorize them.
Cast
Lupita Nyong’o – Adelaide Wilson
Madison Curry – Young Adelaide
Winston Duke – Gabe Wilson
Shahadi Wright Joseph – Zora
Evan Alex – Jason
Elisabeth Moss – Kitty Tyler
Tim Heidecker – Josh Tyler
Cali Sheldon – Becca
Noelle Sheldon – Lindsey
Twisted Scissors
I cannot deny I was uber excited for Us. The trailer, reviews, even the posters scattered around London put a thrill up me (that last bit shouldn’t sound as weird as it does).
This looked like something else, a film that would be right up my street. And it was, but it was also twisted to the point of being confusing. Us is based on just the one story, the history of a small child and the depiction of events that unfold around her younger self – time then skipping forward to her older self and the consequences of those events coming to light. The viewer is instantly presented with the scenario of little Adelaide’s sinister finding at a local amusement park at the beginning of the movie. And this ensures the whole thing kicks off without delay.
Bang – here’s the character. Bang – this is what she’s doing. Bang – look what she’s found. It’s brilliant in terms of immediate interaction, no boring shit being stretched out here as a something potentially deathly arises from a simple visit to the park..
Us is definitely one to concentrate on. And this is largely needed when the ‘others’ arrive, each clutching a pair of golden scissors (a strange touch, but perhaps slightly symbolic of the writers?). A quiet family evening at home turns very strange when Gabe and Adelaide’s family doppelgängers show up to wreak havoc. The leading female character has something to announce which is crucial to the plot, and hats off to Nyong’o for making it weird as fuck. Adelaide’s characterisation means almost inaudible speech (like speaking through the hiccups), so make sure you have limited distractions when watching Us or you might miss a relevant piece of the puzzle. The key thing here is finding out why this has happened,
How has a second version of the family materialised?
What do they want?
Fans of twisted concepts and those who like to unravel a mystery will either be in their element throughout the movie – or just plain baffled. Added to Nyong’o’s performance is the scenario; two parents and two children faced with an unimaginable possibility and how they deal with it. Expect a high level of mixed anticipation / paranoia as their night unfolds. And this is before the neighbours come knocking..
Moss and Heidecker who play Kitty & Josh are an ideal backing partnership. He’s cocky. She’s blunt. Together they provide comic relief from all the strangeness going on, and once something sinister happens to their family the story takes a drastic turn, opening up a whole new can of questions. Their scenes are brief though, so enjoy what you can and take pleasure in this movie’s superb cast ensemble.
The ending of Us is just plain weird. Based on the concept that whatever happens on earth also happens on a parallel earth is beyond imagination. But it’s not like parallel worlds you’ve probably seen before in films / TV shows; this version is utterly bizarre (and Christ knows why they decided to throw a load of fluffy rabbits in). Regardless of this, it makes a thought-provoking watch that is sure to raise a few questions – and eyebrows.
Jordan Peele, eh? You just can’t go wrong.
I would recommend this movie to anyone, based on the fact that it’s so brilliantly diverse and like nothing you’ve seen recently. Its sinister atmospherics are enough to send shivers down your spine, its inconceivable occurrences guaranteed to make any viewer wonder what the hell is happening with each passing moment. I can’t imagine the number of cries of, “what – the – fuck?” out there when people are watching Us. It truly is one to watch, and its underlying message to be appreciated.
Blood, gore and guessing – go for it!
Ricky's Film Reviews 