by Chris Feil
Yesterday, Jordan Peele was our Santa Claus doling out cinematic gifts. First thing Christmas morning, the writer/director of the Oscar winning Get Out dropped the trailer to his follow-up to that mega-smash, the cryptically titled Us. And the internet promptly snapped - or snipped, given the film's scissor fascination.
Curiosity would naturally be at a fever pitch for what Peele has in store for us for his sophomore feature, and Us has smartly been quiet until now. The film centers around Lupita Nyong'o as Adelaide, a mother taking her family (including Winston Duke as her husband) on a beachside vacation only to be visited by a menacing family of their doppelgangers, The Tethered.
The trailer, which really plays like an extended teaser, gives us hints at the themes Peele is working with - family, trauma, self-reflection. And if Peele's promises that this film would be more firmly planted in horror elements hadn't convinced you, hold onto your butts...
YES
- From the looks of this, a sophomore slump would be a real shocker. We can count on the fact that Jordan Peele has delivered another terrifying, wild, razor sharp ride. A genuine "WOW!" even without Get Out's already cemented status.
- Lupita Nyong'o starring vehicle! Finally something that promises to show the full span of her range as an actress post-Oscar win, and it looks like she runs with it. I'm as intrigued to see her relish being in creepy villain mode as I am for her protective mama bear.
- Winston Duke as a corny dad is so inspired!
- Turning rap classic "I Got 5 On It" into an ominous nightmare track?! The nerve! It's canon: "I Got 5 On It" is now a Christmas song, and also I guess a Halloween song.
- Can't place what this film's narrative trajectory is, or how much of the film might exist in the real world or an imagined one. And that is a VERY intriguing thing.
- I too think it's vodka o'clock.
NO
- [placeholder for folks who can't handle scary movies]
- As intriguing as Elisabeth Moss is here, please don't let her character be a horror contrivance to get an early kill.
- Also making the rounds is a list of ten films Peele provided Nyong'o as inspiration points for the film, and a few titles feel very spoilery, so reader beware. Most concerning is that some of them might leave room for some kind of rug-pull plot twist, which who needs that with a concept as brilliant as this?
- UGH more tedious "elevated horror" debates coming our way. Obviously, not this film's fault. Or Hereditary, Get Out, The Witch, etc.
MAYBE SO
- There are a lot of visual motifs here - rabbits, paper men, aforementioned scissors, etc. which of them will be merely cool and what will be narratively important?
- How am I supposed to pick sides between TWO Lupitas?!
- While those "elevated horror" takes almost always feel backhanded even when praising a film, it can't go undervalued when a horror film does hit a bullseye of originality and genuine scares (which FYI can happen in any kind of horror film, not just whatever one person deems worthy). OOPS, I fell into the take trap!
- ... can someone call my mom to come get me. I'm scared.
As if I wasn't already a firm yes on the film, this trailer has me at YES PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU. Us arrives on March 15 - where do you fall on the Yes No Maybe So based on this trailer?