Director: Jordan Peele
Notable Cast: Lupita
Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Elisabeth Moss, Tim
Heidecker, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anna Diop
Jordan Peele, quite frankly, came in and busted modern horror
wide open in a lot of ways. His debut, the Academy Award winning socio-political
satire horror film Get Out, was a
massive surprise hit with critics, fans, and box office. Whether one likes the
film as much as I did is almost irrelevant. The film was a cultural phenomenon.
This leaves a big question mark for a follow up. Although Get Out was often referred to as a ‘social thriller’ or some other
bullshit genre as more discerning fans refused to stake it as a horror film, it
was very clear from the outset that his sophomore effort, Us, was going to be HORROR in all caps. Still, that question mark
loomed over it. Could his second effort be as provocative while maintaining
that sense of respect to the horror community and history that Peele so
obviously feels? In many ways, it absolutely does. Us is able to spark a thoughtful and layered commentary. The film
is loaded with symbolism and detailed nuance to some of its vague narrative elements.
It’s also a film that emphatically embraces the horror genre. It’s brutal,
intense, and quite suspenseful to boot. If anything, Peele must have seen the that
looming question mark and decidedly brushed it aside, refusing to play that
game. Us is another horror cinema
statement and easily sets the benchmark for the year.