After forever making himself one of horror’s most respected directors with the highly-revered Get Out, Jordan Peele does it again with Us. The movie follows the Wilson family returning to the matriarch Adelaide’s (Lupita Nyong’o) childhood home where strange happenings begin to occur. Quickly, things go from slightly bizarre to extremely horrifying when four strangers appear in their driveway – each one a freaky doppleganger of the Wilsons.
For the sake of those who missed Us in theaters, we’re not going to dive too deeply into the plot here. With lots of interesting twists and turns, the film is best enjoyed spoiler-free when watching it for the first time. However, the film is most definitely one that’s going to leave you with some questions once the credits begin to roll, and if you’re looking for more answers, you can check out our own fan theories to explain some of the more bizarre phenomena shown in the the movie.
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What we can discuss here is just how fantastic of a job everyone involved in the flick has done. Let’s just say there’s a reason it was left with a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Peele not only knocks it out of the park again as a director, but his talented cast (including Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, and Tim Heidecker)all couldn’t have possibly done any better. Like Get Out, the movie’s plot is not like anything horror fans have seen before, and even with six months left to go, Us is already one of 2019’s strongest offerings.
If you’re like me, you’re a sucker for director’s commentary tracks on home video releases for films. Unfortunately, no such track is included in the Us release, so it’s worth mentioning that if you were expecting one. However, there are tons of other bonus features on the disc which provide lots of further insight into the film. While it’s not coming from commentary, Peele and the cast still have plenty to say about the making of Us in the many bonus videos to be found on the release.
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Included in the bonus features are a variety of special featurettes, each focusing on different aspects of the film. The Duality of Us features Peele talking about the key themes and imagery; The Monsters Within Us and Tethered Together: Making Us Twice examine the cast and how they were able to balance playing dual-roles in the film; Redefining a Genre explores the impact Peele has left on the horror genre; and Becoming Red focuses specifically on Lupita Nyong’o’s amazing performance. Deleted scenes are also included, along with outtakes and an extended version of the dance sequence.
I am extremely satisfied Universal’s home video release of Us. Because of its depth, the movie is one to watch again and again, as you may notice new subtle details each viewing. There’s no director’s commentary, but the abundance of featurettes and other behind-the-scenes footage makes up for that by adding truckloads of new insight into the film. If you enjoyed this one in theaters or if you’re at all interested in seeing the flick, Us is no doubt a worthy title to have in your collection.
Us is now currently available on digital, and will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand on June 18 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment!
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