Us (2019): Hell is the other you
2019 • Jordan Peele • 2.39:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
Directed by Jordan Peele, Us follows a family whose vacation is interrupted when a group of mysterious intruders appears outside their home. The situation quickly escalates when it becomes clear that these figures have an unsettling connection to the family itself, turning the retreat into a confrontation with something deeply personal and destabilising.
Drawing inspiration from a classic Twilight Zone episode and the subterranean dread of 1980s creature features, the film begins as a home-invasion thriller, but takes an unexpected turn and gains an apocalyptic feel. It’s all about seemingly ordinary people coming face to face with their evil, red jumpsuit-wearing doppelgängers. This visual distinction frames those fighting for their lives against violent prisoners who are killing for what they believe is their owed freedom.
Acting as an uncompromising mirror to American exceptionalism, Us presents an allegory in which the darkness lurking just below the surface is finally exposed, with bloody and disturbing results.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: A family’s seaside getaway turns into a nightmare when they are confronted by violent doppelgängers who emerge from underground, forcing them into a desperate fight for survival while revealing unsettling truths about identity and society.
- Actors: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anna Diop.
- Director: Jordan Peele
- Year: 2019
- Cinematographer: Mike Gioulakis
- Origin: American Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
- Genre: Horror & Supernatural
