Who would have ever imagined that a reflection of American society would be the next hit horror movie? Jordan Peele thought so with his sophomore film, “Us,” which is about a family vacation turned into a macabre revolution. Caution: spoilers ahead!
On a family trip to Santa Cruz, Adelaide and her family find themselves fighting and killing their soulless doppelgängers as more of these clones emerge from underground across the U.S. While the protagonists manage to survive, many doppelgängers kill their aboveground counterparts.
While it is a psychological thriller on the surface, “Us” reflects the problems of inequality in modern America. The supposedly evil doppelgängers, known in the film as the “Tethered,” live like lower class citizens in the U.S.
Peele explores the dangers of letting class inequality divide America by showing the main characters and doppelgängers in constant conflict.
The “us vs. them” mentality prevents them from living in harmony, regardless of the fact that both groups are truly Americans. They try to kill each other as if one needs to be brought down in order for the other to thrive.
The solution that Peele implies is for viewers to end their accidental participation in the exploitation of America’s lower class. Looking at companies popular among TCHS students and avoiding those that negatively impact Americans is one way to reduce oppression.
For example, Amazon is notorious for their mistreatment of American workers while still being popular throughout the nation. Their fulfillment centers subject workers to horrible conditions like those that the “Tethered” face, and buying through the company only supports this oppression.
But his call to action begs some important questions: how well does Peele reflect America, and how well can audiences see his vision?
The film has a strong sense of the ideas it wants to explore, but “Us” ultimately tackles too many ideas in addition to its core themes of class inequality.
Peele also spends time exploring religion, race and more, enhancing the depth of the movie but also leaving more undeveloped ideas. For instance, he touches on middle class racism at the beginning, but drops it later on.
The storyline also creates plot holes, with the existence of the “Tethered” leaving unanswered questions. For example, how do the clones follow their counterparts above? Would they ever have risen if Adelaide did not come to Santa Cruz? Peele’s story is ambitious but it ultimately leaves viewers hanging.
Where the film shines brightly is the acting and cast ensemble. Each actor brings both their character and their doppelgänger to life with great nuance and chemistry, making the film memorable.
Overall, this film provides a unique take on class inequality with ambition and calls on its viewers to reexamine their place in America and their role in propagating oppression. “Us” is a film for anyone who enjoys a good psychological thrill and a deep social critique.
TCHS School Newspaper