Us Reviews: What CinemaBlend Thought Of The New Jordan Peele Horror Movie
Jordan Peele's first movie was as big a success as any writer/director could have possibly hoped for. It was a massive box office success, it got audiences talking, and it won him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. That's a tough act to follow, but now Peele is back with his brand new movie. Us hit theaters today and it had a lot to live up to. However, in the opinion of most of us here at CinemaBlend, Peele has another huge winner.
I wrote the official review and there really wasn't enough good that I could say about Us, I gave the movie 4.5 stars out of five. It is a chilling horror movie while being an equally chilling allegory. Much like Get Out, it's a movie that leaves you questioning not only the world around you, but also yourself.
Us follows a family of four on vacation in Santa Cruz when their peaceful time together is interrupted by another family of four, a quartet of twisted doppelgangers who have arrived to torture and torment their opposites. The who and the why of it all is the stuff of serious spoilers, but needless to say it's all pretty terrifying.
But there's also so much more to it than that. There's a lot to potentially dissect about Us. While the movie works as a straight forward horror movie if that's all you're looking for, there are many layers to what Jordan Peele has put in front of us. Some are obvious, others less so. This makes it the sort of movie you'll want to run out and talk to people about as soon as you see it. CinemaBlend Managing Director Sean O'Connell recommends that you not only see Us, but you see it with friends...twice...
Is there anything that can even be said about Jordan Peele that hasn't already been said? The man had already proven himself to be one of the smartest comedians out there, and he shows how closely comedy and horror are truly linked by proving he's the best working today when it comes to horror movies. As the creative force behind, now, two of the best movies of the last two years, We know Jordan Peele is everything he appears to be.
Sr. Movie Contributor Mike Reyes is another who sings the praises of Jordan Peele, but is also sure to give a shout out to the real MVP of Us, star Lupita Nyong'o.
Jordan Peele's previous directorial effort Get Out, was one of those films that many have a tough time classifying. While most would certainly call it a horror movie, it was one made without some of the elements that many would closely associate with the genre. Us, is a much more straight forward horror movie, as it has monsters and more on-screen violence, but that doesn't mean it's an easier movie to categorize. CinemaBlend's Braden Roberts loved the way Us was able to be more than one thing, and be all of them so well.
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Of course, while most of us who saw Us loved it, there is rarely complete agreement when it comes to art, especially here at CinemaBlend. Product Manager Cody Beck just wasn't able to connect with Us in the way that the rest of us were. While he certainly appreciated various elements of the film, he felt those elements just weren't able to come together in a satisfying way.
While the praise might not be universal, it is largely positive. Jordan Peele certainly has another thrilling movie on his hands that is going to get audiences talking. If the box office estimates are any indication, it will also be a huge financial success as well. If we all run out to see it more than once, as many are suggesting is worth doing, that's only going to make it that much more of a success. This is the one everybody is going to be talking about, and it's one you're going to want to ask everybody about after you see it.
Us is in theaters now.
CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis. Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.