A Missed Opportunity
A somewhat disappointing sophomore effort from Jordan Peele.
I hadn’t enjoyed ‘Get Out’ quite as much as most of the critics (many of whom I suspect were still influenced by their love of that movie while they were heaping praise on this one) - but it was at least a truly original horror feature.
‘Us’ also has a promising concept, a host of Easter eggs and allegorical references and a couple of neat (if not entirely convincing) twists. The problem is that these are all wrapped up in a not particularly engaging, largely run-of-the-mill home invasion thriller that suffers from a host of (perhaps deliberate) cliches, including the now almost obligatory pairing of clownish, inert men with strong, resourceful female characters. The main denouement, when it comes, feels lazy and clumsy, delivered using lengthy expository dialogue and a series of embellished flashbacks.
The movie doesn’t seem sure what tone it wants to adopt, and it suffers as a result. The jokes generally fall flat, and in spite of a handful of effectively creepy moments it just isn’t scary enough. At times I was positively bored, which I hadn’t expected.
Most of the cast, notably Lupita Nyong’o, deliver strong performances, but it’s not enough to elevate ‘Us’ to the status of a classic.
