US


Oscar winner Jordan Peele’s new scary movie, US, takes an average American family on a terrorizing thrill ride. The Wilsons–Gabe (Winston Duke), Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o), and their children, Zora (Shadhadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex)–arrive at their family summer home in Santa Cruz, California. Although the children and the husband are ready for fun, Adelaide finds herself troubled by frightening memories from her childhood at the beach. When a family of creepy Wilson family doppelgängers show up one night, the movie ratchets up the fear factor and tension. It’s more than a home invasion. Something very weird (and deadly!) is going on.

Yes, some of US is silly. Jordan Peele juggles maybe too many themes for a scary movie to control, but the result produces a thought-provoking film you’ll be thinking about for weeks. GRADE: B+

21 thoughts on “US

  1. Steve Oerkfitz

    Wow. Did we see the same film? I went with 2 other people and we all thought it was the worst film we had seen in years. I give it a D-.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Steve, US made $70 million the first weekend it opened. It only cost $20 million to make so it’s already profitable. US also set the record for horror movie openings. A QUIET PLACE had the old record of $50 million.

      Reply
      1. george Post author

        Rick, you’re right about Box Office receipts having little to do with quality. But, it does indicate there’s an audience for this type of movie…a BIG audience.

  2. Jeff Meyerson

    Pass. Peele is definitely Flavor of the Month for critics, but not for me. And now he is redoing “classic” Twilight Zone episodes? We don’t need no redo, man.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, I’m a big fan of the original TWILIGHT ZONE. Jordan Peele’s new TWILIGHT ZONE is on that goofy CBS ALL ACCESS…which we don’t have.

      Reply
      1. Jeff Meyerson

        Ditto. Apparently, Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime are running the originals. I remember you bought the series on DVD/BluRay.

      2. george Post author

        Jeff, about five years ago, BJ’s Warehouse had THE TWILIGHT ZONE sets at rock-bottom prices. I bought all of them. Now, BJ’s Warehouse doesn’t sell DVDs or Blu-rays at all!

  3. Michael Padgett

    I loved “Get Out” and will certainly see “Us”. But even though I’d like to see Peele’s reboot (if that’s what it is) of “Twilight Zone”, you’re right in calling CBS All Access “goofy”. If “Twilight Zone” is widely praised I guess I could join for long enough to watch it, then drop out.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Michael, I’d like to see the Star Trek and THE TWILIGHT ZONE episodes on CBS ALL ACCESS, but I’m tired of getting nickled-and-dimed by HULU and Netflix and SHOWTIME. Enough is enough!

      Reply
      1. Todd Mason

        I took the free trial of CBS ALL ACCESS mostly to see THE GOOD FIGHT so far, and that was mostly good…but I let them go ahead and charge me for a month…so I’ll cancel after that.. Might take a month later on depending how long the various interesting series last, and binge-watch again.

      2. george Post author

        Todd, I might do the same thing: sign up for a limited time and binge-watch STAR TREK and THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Then cancel.

    1. george Post author

      Rick, I’m not a fan of horror movies, either. But Hitchcock could be “scary” so that’s the type of scary that I can tolerate.

      Reply
      1. Todd Mason

        Don’t understand resistance to horror. Not much of a splatter fan, and some of Hitchcock is pretty dire one way or another, but good horror is a joy.

      2. george Post author

        Todd, as a kid, I read Robert Bloch’s stories which had a lot of horror in them. Later, I moved on to H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith and other WEIRD TALES writers.

  4. Patti Abbott

    I thought it was very good. Maybe not as good as GET OUT but filled with things to work out later. Very rich in easter eggs, rabbit holes, etc. And the ending was terrific.

    Reply

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