SXSW 2019 Review: US: An Even Bigger Home Run For Jordan Peele
The beauty of watching a horror film by Jordan Peele is that in person, Peele seems to be the nicest, funniest, and most humble man you can ever meet. He speaks from a place full of authenticity, honesty, and bravery. Which is why it can be so fun and terrifying to watch him create ungodly masterpieces like 2017’s Get Out and this year’s Us, which, in this critic’s opinion, is a bolder, more daring step towards insanity.
That duality of Peele as a person and as a filmmaker is exactly the theme Us explores. The clear and precise racial commentary has now transformed into bizarre unexplained imagery that will raise multiple interpretations. To me, this is the perfect introduction to what Peele will eventually make in the new Twilight Zone series. Nothing here is straightforward.
The simplest thing you’re going to get is the premise – a family of four (Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex) drive up to their vacation house in Santa Cruz, only to be quickly terrorized by doppelgängers of themselves, called The Tethered.
Jordan Peele – A Master of Tone-Shifts
It’s been said a hundred times already, but I must repeat it again here: Peele is a master in shifting contrasting tones. I can say with complete confidence that Us has the perfect blend of horror and comedy, and a lot of that perfection comes from the film’s patience in the first act, the casting, and Peele’s song choices.
We learn about our female protagonist Adelaide (Nyong’o), who experienced something extremely traumatic in the past – something so terrifying that it has clearly seeped into her relationship with her husband Gabe (Duke) and her children. Here, we are treated to some light but useful family dynamics. It makes for good drama and good friction. This is also the perfect opportunity to introduce Duke as the film’s main comedic force. Playing Gabe as a lovable dork who tries to make the whole family happy, Duke almost guides the film’s transitions between comedy and horror. He got one of the biggest laughs I’ve heard in a theater. And yes, his thighs are a thing. The end result is the most twisted, wicked entertainment you’ll see this year.
Everything and Everyone is Creepy
During the Buzzfeed News interview, Peele expressed his personal fear of roaches and water bugs, explaining how they always sit still and then suddenly scatter with no warning. Now you know where he got the idea to have the Tethered just stand in front of the family’s house, and then suddenly approach it.
If you thought Peele can be scary, this fires on all cylinders. From the way the camera just watches violence unfold to how the characters react to the violence, everything and everyone in Us is deliciously off-kilter. Furthermore, every actor gets at least one set piece. Joseph and Alex, who play the children in the film, have a bright future ahead of them. Joseph has the most nightmarish smile in the cast.
Also look out for Tim Heidecker and Elisabeth Moss, whose roles in the film changed what I thought the film was going to be about. And Moss is just… awesome.
Holy F@&$, Lupita is Insane
We need to talk about and campaign for Lupita Nyong’o for the rest of this year. The woman nails two drastically different performances with such terror, fear, and deranged confidence. In spite of Peele giving every actor in his cast a chance to shine, Nyong’o steals the entire film away. From 12 Years a Slave to Black Panther to Us, she is now the epitome of range.
With Peele’s emphasis on the face, as the eyes stare straight into the camera, the film allows Nyong’o to let everything go with her facial expressions. She cries, shakes, laughs, wheezes, screams, the whole spectrum. She transforms on screen, from the voice to the body, so much so that Nyong’o herself claimed she would frequently nap on set due to exhaustion.
From start to finish, she is cold, perverse, and downright incredible. The film wreaks of tension because of her, and the intentional lack of answers elevates her presence. She’s scarier because half the time, we don’t know what the f*** is going on. Her duo performance of Adelaide and Red will join the ranks of Linda Blair, Isabelle Adjani, and the recent Toni Collette as one of the greatest performances in all of horror cinema.
The Oscars just ended, but my effort for next year’s ceremony has already begun.
Flaws or Strengths? It’s Very Subjective
Where I suspect Us will lose some viewers is in its climax, where it starts to explain things to the audience. Moviegoers might get turned off by these plot points. Whether or not the third act works for you will depend on how you interpret it.
I can already foresee the opinion that the film juggled too many ideas that don’t come together in a coherent manner. Yes, Us is a messier film, if we’re comparing it to Get Out. But while the details and plot points in Us can be objectively seen as problematic flaws, they don’t seem to matter to me from a subjective stance. The “messiness” of Us motivates me to watch it again immediately. What could be seen as its flaw can also be its strength.
Besides, the editing and the musical score are just too impressive to ignore here. With the help of Peele, Nyong’o, editor Nicholas Monsour, and composer Michael Abels, the film concocted what is probably going to be the most memorable sequence this year. If you were a fan of the trailer’s remix of “I Got 5 On It,” the film itself does not disappoint. I will be purchasing the score album as soon as it’s out, intentionally freaking myself out every time I hear the newly iconic DUN DUN DUN DUUUNNN jingle.
Us: Bolder, Crazier, More Daring
Whereas Get Out is more straightforward on its commentary of black identity, Us embraces puzzling imagery and timing to evoke a sense of interpretative meaning, which leads to personal intimacy with the viewer. Anyone can watch this and find something distinctively nightmarish about it. It makes for a far more gripping and emotionally rewarding experience, one that will age incredibly well over time. Though some plot points may not work for everyone, Us is a bolder, crazier, and more daring effort by Jordan Peele, as he continues to revolutionize the way we categorize films and approach genres.
In a society where we have a habit of “othering” people, here he comes and dares us to look inwards, to imagine our worst fears and tendencies wearing our own faces. He’s pushing the boundaries of what we can see on screen, and is quickly becoming one of my favorite filmmakers today. Us is precisely the type of batshit creepy-yet-funny roller coaster that I signed up for. I could not be happier for this cast and crew.
Now cast Keegan-Michael Key in your next horror film, dammit!
Did you catch Us at SXSW? What did you think of the film? Share below!
Us premiered at SXSW on March 8, 2019. It will be released in theaters in the US on March 22, 2019. For all international release dates, click here.
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