Us Ups the Scares but Lacks the Flair

Having garnered critical acclaim in his thrilling directorial debut with Get Out, comedian turned filmmaker Jordan Peele goes for round two in full-out horror mode that gives double meaning to the phrase "you are your own worst enemy"

What starts as a relaxing vacation at the beach turns into a horrifying nightmare for the Wilson family as they are terrorized by what appears to be exact copies of themselves out for blood. Lupita Nyong'o is Adelaide Wilson who long ago had a similar shocking encounter back when she was little but didn't think much of it until now. Winston Duke is her husband Gabe who even when his life is on the line, finds the opportunity to add a little comedy to the premise. Shahadi Wright Joseph is Zora, their teenage daughter and Evan Alex is Jason, their youngest son who likes to wear a mask (Ha, Ha, Mr. Peele, good one).

Having to face evil versions of yourself is nothing new but Peele does throw in a few twists that makes this movie its own and not a Proud Family Movie rip-off. (Admit it, that was the first thing that came to mind when the teaser was released). Nyong'o and the rest of her oncreen family give great dual performances as the frightened Wilsons trying to stay alive and their creepy replicas hunting them down.

Like Get Out, Us has alot going on once you start peeling back the layers but it does take awhile to get started. After an excellent prologue that sets-up what we are in for, we get enough dialogue that establishes the characters but the rest of the first act becomes as exciting as watching your Uncle's vacation slideshow. It isn't until the doppelgangers arrive that it becomes engaging again. Another thing that Get Out had going for is not knowing what was going to happen. You knew something was off-putting but were still in the dark of the full picture. With Us, it becomes predictable around the middle that when the final reveal happens, it didn't surprise me. Clues are scattered that hints on what is truly occurring but perhaps the movie would have benefited for a little ambiguity. Without going into spoilers on the ending, I'd rather have a film that goes more the Sinister route than Saw.

Still, the movie isn't without strong merits. Peele once again shows his talent as a writer, producer and director knowing when to be scary and funny, courtesy of Duke. The score is eerily melodic, and the sly metaphors are clever.

It would be tempting to call Peele the next M. Night Shyamalan, but lets not jump ahead of ourselves just yet. He still has time to develop his signature style and having one great movie and one that is okay is not a bad way to start. Us may not be as good as Get Out, but I still recommend it and invite a friend over to compare and contrast one's initial thoughts.

Final Verdict: B-