Summer 2020 Archive
Film Review
Us (2019)
Directed by Jordan Peele
Us is a 2019 horror film by Jordan Peele which possesses an unflinchingly cheery surreal vibe and that mood is not lost during the acts of terror and violence. It is as if Peele bottled the deep feeling of unease that spawned from the nightmarish chocolate riverboat scene in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) and cultivated it into an entire film. The plot centers around the Wilson family, specifically Adelaide Wilson, who gets attacked by a group of strangers that share their likeness. Going into the film I expected something akin to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), but now I would say that a more accurate description would be to call it the passionate love-child of The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Coraline (2009) and They Live (1988). From the very first moments in the opening scene, it becomes abundantly clear that there is something deeply wrong with the world these characters inhabit.
One night at the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk, a young Adelaide wanders away from her parents and comes face to face with a sinister doppelgänger, who appears to terrorize Adelaide into a post-traumatic state. The plot then quickly shuffles time forward to Adelaide as an adult, returning to Santa Cruz with her husband and two children. The Wilson family’s likability cannot be understated. From light-hearted jokes to well-meaning repermands, their wholesomeness is vividly communicated in confidently laid-back acting style. This allows the duplicates to stand in stark contrast by seizing the positive characteristics of the Wilsons and twist them into brutal eccentricities. For example, Jason—the impressionable and kind hearted son—enjoys magic tricks and wearing masks. Whereas his duplicate, Pluto, is an animalistic pyromaniac that wears a mask to cover the burn scars that cover the bottom half of his face. The duplicates state that they have had no free will, up until now, and have been forced all their lives to mirror the actions of the Wilsons—such as giving birth to the children, regardless of their own desires to conceive—in a twisted parody of the Wilson’s lives. The duplicates’ existence has been an unending parade of pain, madness, and torment, made all the worse by the knowledge that they are simply mimicking a happier life. But now they are free, and have come to sever the tethers that keep them linked to the family. They intend to relish in the family’s helplessness and fear before killing them.
Thematically, there is a lot to unpack here. For starters, there is an overabundance of twinning instances—and not simply with the duplicates. Props, numbers, behaviors, and shot compositions are mirrored or recreated so often that my head began to spin. Even the duplicates’ murder weapon—a pair of scissors—have two equally large finger holes. The holes are emphasized by the duplicates holding the scissors at the blade in a two-handed grip. The twinning quickly becomes apparent and by the time you start consciously looking for mirroring, you will probably have missed a large amount of twin instances or callbacks. Thankfully, this means that there is a lot of meat on it’s bones for subsequent viewings, and what a delightful viewing experience it is! The cinematography, ontop of being devilishly clever, relishes entombing the characters in deep shadows, only to strike out with vivid colors. At times I was reminded of scenes from Suspiria (1977), although the color pallet leans closer to pop-art, rather than hyper-aggressive purity.
Beyond the staggeringly beautiful mise-en-scène, the film masterfully articulates the stark differences between ‘the haves’ and ‘have nots’ and the rage that builds from being raised as part of a suppressed people. The duplicates' painfully stunted/shunned existence links up with a wide variety of marginalized groups or societal outcasts that desperately wish to strike out against those that live without strife or are draped in privileges that were given to them through the circumstances of their birth. The duplicates are the embodiment of oppressed rage, unbound and desperate to express themselves in a manner that brings them fulfillment and freedom from their unwitting oppressors. It soon becomes clear that their attack is far greater than one calculated assault, this is a full blown revolution that threatens to dismantle the very foundation of society. However, at about the three-quarters mark the plot evolves into a far more convoluted and perplexing beast. There is a definite need to suspend your disbelief and accept the dream-like quality of the climax, otherwise your mind will start to snag on a large number of valid questions that the film is simply uninterested in answering.
Us takes a firm stance, focusing solely on projecting powerful thoughts and even stronger visual messages, but the methods it uses to accomplish these goals may leave viewers feeling slightly underwhelmed or even frustrated. The best way to enjoy Us is to go into it understanding that the “whys” are far less important than the “whos.” Allow yourself to relax and get lost in shadowy forrest of delightfully sharp dialogue and darkly hilarious usage of Luniz’s “I got 5 on it” and N.W.A’s “Fuck The Police.” Feast upon the squirming buffet of memorable scenes, shockingly powerful performances, and deeply nuanced themes. Just don’t go chasing down any narrative rabbit holes or you may find yourself lost in a never-ending funhouse maze of confusing tunnels. . .and who knows what manner of creature could be lurking down there, eagerly waiting to pounce upon us.
— Jarred White
CSU Stanislaus
Directed by Jordan Peele
Us is a 2019 horror film by Jordan Peele which possesses an unflinchingly cheery surreal vibe and that mood is not lost during the acts of terror and violence. It is as if Peele bottled the deep feeling of unease that spawned from the nightmarish chocolate riverboat scene in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) and cultivated it into an entire film. The plot centers around the Wilson family, specifically Adelaide Wilson, who gets attacked by a group of strangers that share their likeness. Going into the film I expected something akin to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), but now I would say that a more accurate description would be to call it the passionate love-child of The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Coraline (2009) and They Live (1988). From the very first moments in the opening scene, it becomes abundantly clear that there is something deeply wrong with the world these characters inhabit.
One night at the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk, a young Adelaide wanders away from her parents and comes face to face with a sinister doppelgänger, who appears to terrorize Adelaide into a post-traumatic state. The plot then quickly shuffles time forward to Adelaide as an adult, returning to Santa Cruz with her husband and two children. The Wilson family’s likability cannot be understated. From light-hearted jokes to well-meaning repermands, their wholesomeness is vividly communicated in confidently laid-back acting style. This allows the duplicates to stand in stark contrast by seizing the positive characteristics of the Wilsons and twist them into brutal eccentricities. For example, Jason—the impressionable and kind hearted son—enjoys magic tricks and wearing masks. Whereas his duplicate, Pluto, is an animalistic pyromaniac that wears a mask to cover the burn scars that cover the bottom half of his face. The duplicates state that they have had no free will, up until now, and have been forced all their lives to mirror the actions of the Wilsons—such as giving birth to the children, regardless of their own desires to conceive—in a twisted parody of the Wilson’s lives. The duplicates’ existence has been an unending parade of pain, madness, and torment, made all the worse by the knowledge that they are simply mimicking a happier life. But now they are free, and have come to sever the tethers that keep them linked to the family. They intend to relish in the family’s helplessness and fear before killing them.
Thematically, there is a lot to unpack here. For starters, there is an overabundance of twinning instances—and not simply with the duplicates. Props, numbers, behaviors, and shot compositions are mirrored or recreated so often that my head began to spin. Even the duplicates’ murder weapon—a pair of scissors—have two equally large finger holes. The holes are emphasized by the duplicates holding the scissors at the blade in a two-handed grip. The twinning quickly becomes apparent and by the time you start consciously looking for mirroring, you will probably have missed a large amount of twin instances or callbacks. Thankfully, this means that there is a lot of meat on it’s bones for subsequent viewings, and what a delightful viewing experience it is! The cinematography, ontop of being devilishly clever, relishes entombing the characters in deep shadows, only to strike out with vivid colors. At times I was reminded of scenes from Suspiria (1977), although the color pallet leans closer to pop-art, rather than hyper-aggressive purity.
Beyond the staggeringly beautiful mise-en-scène, the film masterfully articulates the stark differences between ‘the haves’ and ‘have nots’ and the rage that builds from being raised as part of a suppressed people. The duplicates' painfully stunted/shunned existence links up with a wide variety of marginalized groups or societal outcasts that desperately wish to strike out against those that live without strife or are draped in privileges that were given to them through the circumstances of their birth. The duplicates are the embodiment of oppressed rage, unbound and desperate to express themselves in a manner that brings them fulfillment and freedom from their unwitting oppressors. It soon becomes clear that their attack is far greater than one calculated assault, this is a full blown revolution that threatens to dismantle the very foundation of society. However, at about the three-quarters mark the plot evolves into a far more convoluted and perplexing beast. There is a definite need to suspend your disbelief and accept the dream-like quality of the climax, otherwise your mind will start to snag on a large number of valid questions that the film is simply uninterested in answering.
Us takes a firm stance, focusing solely on projecting powerful thoughts and even stronger visual messages, but the methods it uses to accomplish these goals may leave viewers feeling slightly underwhelmed or even frustrated. The best way to enjoy Us is to go into it understanding that the “whys” are far less important than the “whos.” Allow yourself to relax and get lost in shadowy forrest of delightfully sharp dialogue and darkly hilarious usage of Luniz’s “I got 5 on it” and N.W.A’s “Fuck The Police.” Feast upon the squirming buffet of memorable scenes, shockingly powerful performances, and deeply nuanced themes. Just don’t go chasing down any narrative rabbit holes or you may find yourself lost in a never-ending funhouse maze of confusing tunnels. . .and who knows what manner of creature could be lurking down there, eagerly waiting to pounce upon us.
— Jarred White
CSU Stanislaus
