We are deep into October which means it is certainly Halloween season. Everyone knows this is the scariest time of the year. What could be a better way of celebrating this holiday than watching some scary movies? It can be tough to pick from many great options. If you want to go for a newer film, Jordan Peele’s Us is a terrific choice. This horror film is full of creepiness and many plot twists that you will not see coming. There are many jump scares and frightening moments that are perfect for a scary movie watching. Where did this scary movie come from? What makes it truly horrifying? Here is the information you will want to know if you want to watch Us for Halloween.
The Origins
Peele had just made Get Out which was a bigger success then he could have imagined. It earned several oscar nominations and a win for Best Original Screenplay. Peele had to follow that up with something big and exciting, which is when he got to work on his second film. The early idea for his second film actually connected to the reactions of Get Out. Peele observed how many people were confused by what genre Get Out was trying to be, whether it was supposed to be horror, psychological thriller, or something else entirely. Therefore, Peele decided that he was going to make something that would be undeniably horrific. He also took some inspiration from the Twilight Zone for some of the plot. Peele wanted to ignite real fear with his second film.
The Plot
Us follows the Wilson family, who decide to go on a beachside vacation. They think it will be a fun time to relax and catch up with some old friends. However, not everything is as it seems. There begins to be some strange occurrences on this beach that the family can not explain. Eventually, they meet clones of themselves. The difference is that these clones are all in red, look more worn down, and don’t really speak. These are “the tethered”. They are also out to cause some damage and murder their counterparts. The WIlson family has to stick together if they want to survive. However, what happens when more clones come out and their grand plan is revealed? What if there are more secrets hiding? These are secrets that could put everyone in danger for a long time.
The Characters
The film centers around Adelaide Wilson, played by Lupita N’yongo. The beach that the Wilson family is going to is the beach that Adelaide went to when she was a kid. However, she had not been there since a traumatic event happened, and she is kind of nervous about going there. Fortunately, she has her family to keep her company. There is her husband Gabe, played by Winston Duke, a generally happy guy who is helping her stay calm, and her rambunctious children Zora, played by Shahadi Wright Joseph and Jason, played by Evan Alex. The family is meeting their friends, the Tyler family. There is Kitty, played by Elisabeth Moss, Josh, played by Tim Heidecker, and their twins Becca and Lindsay Tyler, played by Calli and Noelle Sheldon. All of these characters have their doppelgangers appear, which are all played by the same actors. The doppelgangers show a murderous side unlike any normal human.
The Meaning
There have been many theories about what this film is supposed to represent. Some theories have talked about how this movie could be a metaphor for the classism that exists within society, and how the tethered are the poor people that society chooses to forget. Peele himself has talked about how the film relates to the idea of privilege. When someone becomes more privileged, it usually comes at the hand of other people’s suffering, people that the privileged do not really think about. A lot of privilege is not even deserved; it can be luck, like the luck that the people in the real world have. Peele may have more deeper meanings, but this is what we know.