Us

Now we get to a hot topic. Us was drawing huge hype before it came out, partly because of how beloved Jordan Peele’s last horror film Get Out was and partly because of the amazing early buzz. At one point it was at 100% on the Tomatometer! I even heard a radio ad quoting a critic calling it the scariest movie of all time!

I had to see it ASAP, given that horror is my favorite genre. Did it live up to the hype?

Uh, not quite, but it’s a good movie.

I should mention that I felt the exact same way about Get Out. It was a neat supernatural thriller about a guy who was about to utterly lose control over his body, but I didn’t get what it was trying to say about black exploitation by white culture. And if it didn’t have a deeper message, then it was nothing more than what I just described. I’m honestly surprised it was nearly 100% fresh on the Tomatometer (I keep plugging that thing-I hope to get to join when I’m eligible!) and it overcame the Academy’s aversion to horror films in a way nothing but Silence of the Lambs had.

That said, I have become a big Jordan Peele supporter. When I watched the Get Out trailer, I was surprised to see an interracial couple in the beginning. I then thought  “Wow, it’s sad that it’s 2017 and it’s unusual to see a romance between a black person and a white person in a film without it being a plot point. At least we’re making progress” Of course, by the end of the trailer I realized that it’s a plot point to say the least! Admittedly an interesting plot but so much for thinking our society had even slightly progressed 🙁

When prejudice still runs as rampant as it does though, it’s great we have a minority writer/director like Jordan Peele so committed to telling stories about his race and getting lauded for the results.  I was actually at the comic convention WonderCon this weekend and attended the panel on his new Twilight Zone revival. It looks so amazing that I’m going to subscribe to CBS All Access just to watch it! That’s not just my opinion-Ginnifer Goodwin said it would be worth that. 🙂

Will it be worth it if the series is exactly on par with Us as far as quality? No, sorry.

The setup definitely intrigued me. There are few places creepier to get lost than a carnival at night. The last act also gave me some chills, while showing a lot of imagination (albeit with a predictable twist). The middle act just felt like a slasher movie where there were no real stakes because the good guys were too powerful.

The movie’s big reveal setting up the conflict was definitely unique and interesting, but it didn’t do enough afterwards. First there was a whole bunch of generic violence, then some admittedly creative and creepy sets and makeup, then an underwhelming conclusion.

So I liked the introduction, the main twist, and the later elaboration on that. I did not like anything else, which is a ton of the movie. If I sound vague it’s because I’m trying hard not to spoil anything for people who are going to watch it.

Do I think you should? Sure-the strengths outweigh the weaknesses enough that it’s a good horror film.

Is the scariest movie of all time? Heck no, not even close!

Up next: the actual scariest movie of all time!!!

Final Verdict: Flawed but mostly enjoyable scary flick.