In 2017, Jordan Peele entered the spotlight as one of Hollywood’s great new directors with the release of Get Out, a film that used horror as a backdrop to refract race relations in today’s America. Smart modern usage of the genre that catapulted the director to an Academy Award win for Best Original Screenplay. While Get Out is out to send a powerful message, the film’s finale fails to stick its landing in categorizing it as one of the greats of the 2010s. This opinion stems from the film’s final 20 minutes. While the first 80 minutes focus on race relations and strays away from a conventional horror film, its climax turns into a cliché including an uneven turn where brain surgery is the source of the events that have taken place throughout the narrative.
Two years later, Jordan Peele has returned with his sophomore outing, Us, a thought-provoking excursion that is nothing short of a colossal cinematic achievement. Peele’s new film is both darker and more ambitious, and broader in its themes and immediately enters the category of a modern day masterpiece. What makes Us so unique is it can bypass the concept of genre and make the audience sit, think, and create a mindset and opinion about what the theme of this film is.
Similarly to classics such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (a sci-fi film), The Godfather Parts 1 and 2 (a crime drama), Us falls under the horror genre but it’s so much more than that. Like the previously mentioned classics, the film creates conversations and debate among moviegoers as to what Peele is trying to tell us. On the surface, the film is positioned as a home-invasion style horror film. Add in Peele’s creative mind and Us rises above its horror genre definition. The film’s real purpose is to look at the big picture of cultural consciousness and the cultural unconscious. The “moral compass” that lies in all of us that is quick to create an opinion of someone without knowing all the facts. Us is the self-examination of a human being.
Along with Peele’s direction, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex should be commended for their duel performances. Duke continues to show why he is on the rise as one of Hollywood’s consistent actors. From Black Panther to Us, Duke shows no signs of being typecast and will not shy away from accepting new roles which will add to the depth of his repertoire. While Joseph and Alex can differentiate, both parts played in a way where compassion can still be had for both roles each of these child actors took in the film. Did I miss someone? Oh yes, then there’s Lupita Nyong’o’s take as Adelaide/Red. A year ago, cinephiles were craving for an Academy Award nomination for the brutally raw performance by Toni Collette in Hereditary.
While the nomination failed to come to fruition, there is a sense that Lupita is on her way to break the horror genre Oscar nomination curse as her performance is nothing short of a masterpiece. Nyong’o’s performance propels the story forward. She extracts and displays emotion from both of her characters with an incredible amount of depth and range. A performance that will make you question whether two people are playing these characters and realizing that she is phenomenal in showcasing their duality. Lupita should not only be considered a shoo-in for a nomination come awards season but it would not shock me if she becomes a two-time Oscar winner.
Michael Abels’ score aids the film by adding all the necessary tension and anxiety for the audience to experience even going as far as become a central character in the movie. The use of “I Got 5 on It” is something I never knew I wanted until I got it. Abels’ use of the track near the film’s finale is a genius move and something you need to see onscreen for yourself. As a fan of 90’s hip-hop, I certainly will never look at this track the same again.
The best way for me to compare this brilliant film is by looking at a modern day musical genius, Kendrick Lamar. When he released his first album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, Lamar provided listeners with an in-depth, in your face look at life in Compton. With his sophomore outing, To Pimp A Butterfly, Lamar chose to take a different route and release a more thought invoking album that created a buzz around Lamar’s change in direction. A few years have passed, and To Pimp A Butterfly is now viewed as a classic.
Just like that, Us has confirmed that Peele has become a tour de force as a director in Hollywood. His fearlessness in filmmaking has become abundantly clear and he’s willing to take the necessary narrative risks in his writing and direction similarly to Alfred Hitchcock. He’s slowly but surely earning his spot to be one of Hollywood’s great directors.
Reel Talk gives Us 4 Reels
