Us (2019)





From the opening master shot of white rabbits in cages, to the weird conclusion, Us is riveting. It begs you to watch, and captures your attention with a relentless sense of unease. The viewer is piecing together the hidden clues, all the while terrified for the highly likable, and extremely well acted, protagonists.

The film strikes a balance between horror and comedy that is often very difficult to achieve. Early on, we have a beautiful Santa Cruz beach that feels menacing. These are moments of genuine humor layered on top of the growing dread. Not everything in the narrative makes perfect sense, but that is part of the fun.

The principle cast is comprised of dark-skinned black people, and it is a refreshing change for a mainstream film. Race doesn't feel essential to the plot, like it did in Get Out. However, there are aspects of a modern day racism that is much closer to class-ism, but it is not the larger focus of the plot. No, this is something else. This is the arrival of a filmmaker who is confident, competent. and different. Get Out was a highly enjoyable film. Us is a genre masterwork.

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