When you have a directorial debut that is as strong as Jordan Peele’s Get Out was, all eyes are going to be on what you do next. Get Out was a bit of a game changer for the horror genre because it supplied genuine thrills but it was thought-provoking because of Peele’s dash of social commentary. The story of an African American male meeting his white girlfriend’s family for the first time can be embedded with its own horrors and that is what toed the line between what could his paranoia and the real sense that maybe something is really wrong here. At the end of the day, Get Out became one of the most talked-about and commonly dissected horror films of the decade and it thrust first-time director Jordan Peele firmly into the spotlight. After just one film, he became the new and exciting voice of the horror genre.

Jordan Peele has avoided the sophomore slump with Us, which not only lets Peele flex his abilities as a writer with its sprinkles of social commentary but also allows the auteur to truly show his unequivocal talent as a genre filmmaker. Some horror directors pay homage to the veterans and it results in an adequate impersonation but Peele manages to pay that homage while also making the style his very own. There is immense confidence behind the camera that allows him to already stand against the likes of Hitchcock, Kubrick, Craven or Carpenter. You might be thinking, I’m speaking way too soon on this because he’s only directed two films but sometimes you have to give credit when it’s due and Peele more than earns our accolades and admiration.

Following a creepy prologue set in a Santa Cruz amusement park circa 1986, Us jumps forward in time to “today.” A family of four – father Gabe (Winston Duke), mother Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o), daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph), and son Jason (Evan Alex) – are about to embark on the annual ritual of a summer vacation at the lake. There are various moments that wonderfully depict the family as normal can be so we can relate to them on a human level. Zora complains about not being able to get online, Gabe establishes himself as your favorite goofy dad when he buys a cheap boat and the chemistry amongst the family allows Us to get the family bonding right so that when the horror strikes, we’re invested in their survival.

The horror begins during a power outage with a creepy quartet standing mutely at the end of the driveway, their intentions as hidden by darkness as their countenances. Adelaide is immediately worried but Gabe is more laid-back in his approach. However, when the strangers don’t respond to his friendly challenges, he tells his wife to call the police and returns outside brandishing a bat. That’s when the home invasion begins – a terrifically crafted 15-minute sequence in which intercutting shows the fate of each member of the Wilson family as the situation unfolds. There’s some exposition included here as well – an explanation of why the invaders resemble the victims. They are the “shadows” and they have come with the intention of untethering themselves from their hosts.

First and foremost, Us is a horror film and that’s honestly why most people will see it. There is also respect to Peele’s creativity but the creepy trailer alone, featuring a suspenseful orchestrated remix version of “I Got 5 on It” by Luniz, is what is getting a lot of butts in the seats. If you’re a fan of the genre and all of its tropes, Peele doesn’t disappoint with Us. Get Out was suspenseful in its own right but Us is much more of a pure horror film, especially in the way that Peele stages various sequences and shots. The opening, set in 1986, grows more and more unsettling as a girl wanders off alone in a dark Santa Cruz beach. Nothing especially creepy is happening as the sequence progresses but Peele establishes enough atmosphere that we grow uneasy until the sequence reaches somewhat of a conclusion (we get bits and pieces of the facts of that night as the film goes on).

Then there is the aforementioned home invasion sequence which is visceral in its approach. This is as well crafted as you can get in terms of building tension and Peele shows a master hand at keeping us on the edge of our seats. I think part of the horror of the sequence is since Peele is only two films in, we’re not sure how far he will actually go in terms of what could happen to the family. That uncertainty is what drove the sequence for me because it consistently allowed for the element of surprise because Peele hasn’t fully shown his hand as a filmmaker.

While Peele is an Oscar-winning screenwriter, he uses dialogue sparingly throughout much of the film. The subtle score and expressive actors often carry the suspense, without a ton of screaming or verbal panic to convey the fear. The sets are crafted in a way that creates natural claustrophobia as the characters try to navigate the evil plaguing their home. It’s the kind of horror that creeps under your skin by disrupting one’s own notion of comfort.

Peele also utilizes humor, sometimes during scenes of intense horror. Peele is known primarily for his comedic background so it makes sense that most of the scenes that ground the family are scenes of genuine comedic timing. Most of this is provided by Winston Duke’s Gabe who is given the film’s best lines. A lot of the humor is situational or based around the intensity, and sometimes absurdity, of the horror. A murder sequence involving the film’s take on the Amazon Echo (“Alexa”) and “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys is darkly funny while also being another example of Peele’s excellent ability to craft a purely visceral scene of horror.

Peele’s ability as a writer is also on display because the man actually has something to say. The social commentary in Us isn’t as overt as what was presented in Get Out but it is there, yet it’s buried perfectly within the narrative that it doesn’t become a distraction. Nothing could take you out of this more than an “oh, here’s the message” moment and Peele avoids that yet it’s not hard to see what he’s doing with his story. There are definite shades of classism explored as the worlds of the haves and the have nots become central to the film’s underlying themes. This isn’t the first horror film to explore this angle, in fact, Wes Craven approached this in 1972’s The Last House on the Left where he had a seemingly wholesome family embrace their animalistic side when they come across the vicious killers that murdered their daughter. At its core, that film made you question whether the family was any different from killers in question as they also succumbed to their basic instincts for revenge. Us tackles something similar but in a different way that keeps things fresh. The best part is that it allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions when it comes to this class warfare.

Jordan Peele has put together a very compelling cast and it’s lead by the heavy lifting of Oscar winner, Lupita Nyong’o. The actress has to run the gamut of emotions and she does so without missing a single beat. She’s likable and vulnerable in one sense and yet fierce and unhinged the next. It’s no secret that all of the family play dual roles but Nyong’o goes the extra mile with her performances and if there is any cinematic justice The Academy will remember this performance and honor her with a nomination. In fact, I’d like the publicly implore them to not make her the Toni Collette of 2019 and acknowledge her for the great work she puts on display here. As mention before, Winston Duke provides solid support and is great comic relieve while Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex avoid the trappings of being annoying kids in a horror film. They’re very likable and quite capable to stand up against the talent of their adult performers.

If you’re a fan of original horror films, Us should have your number. There aren’t a ton of voices breaking out in the genre that have really connected as Peele has after only two films. Peele is proving to be a master at setting up an aggressively normal world and then introducing details that are further and further off until we’re in the middle of a full-blown nightmare. There is normalcy to his horror and that is what makes his work unsettling but also very exciting in the ever-expanding world of the genre.