Us (2019)

directed by: Jordan Peele
written by: Jordan Peele
photographed by: Mike Gioulakis
music by: Michael Abels
edited by: Nicholas Monsour
stars: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss
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Jordan Peele made his directing debut with the interesting but overrated Get Out (2017). Get Out, which Peele had also written, tried to combine social criticism with survival horror, but although efficiently written and directed, it felt somehow disappointing in the end, probably because of the hype that preceded it. Us came also with some level of hype, but the hype is well-deserved, as it stands as one of the best horror movies of the last years, maybe the best since Hereditary (2018) and certainly our favorite since It Follows (2014).

Us has a very promising starting point: a family of four (the parents and their children, a girl and a boy) find one night their doppelgängers (their exact replicas) at the entrance of their garden. This visitors soon prove not to have very friendly intentions. The sequence of the apparition of the family replica is really unsettling and memorable. For some moments Us threatens to become just another home invasion movie, but it doesn't, and there are still many surprises to come.

Peele's screenplay and direction keeps you tied to your chair. Visually Us stands also above average. The interpretations are remarkable in their double roles, especially Lupita Nyong'o. Us has many virtues, including a special atmosphere and several great moments, but in the end it is just a great horror movie.