Bane

Strong performances by the entire cast, and some very thrilling moments and creepy vibes throughout, Us is a tale of three acts that has a great set up, a very alluring middle act, and a somewhat confusing and hazy explanation to tie up the questions behind the mystery of the film in the third act. Where Get Out succeeded is that the film becomes a different movie after the first viewing, because once you know all of the answers the subtle nuances become more apparent in the story and performance by the actors, and can see what is happening clearly in the movie. It is sort of the same effect Fight Club has, once you know who Tyler Durden was in that film the second viewing becomes a whole different experience in a different trajectory. While Us also has a “late game” plot twist, I do not feel as if the story arc for the main character really pushes any sort of re-viewing need for this film, due to the nature of the plot twist itself. Instead of having something of that effect where you are left in the dark until a sudden realization casts a new light on the overall experience, what is left is a somewhat ambiguous explanation of the nature of the conflict in the film that is slightly dissatisfying, and in turn kind of drags down the rest of the mystery and allure of the film. What sets this film apart from Get Out and what I think is the true trademark of this film is that all of the main actors and support cast do doubly duty and play as the protagonists and antagonists of the film. The story is about the Wilson family, a married couple and their two children vacationing in Santa Cruz at a beach house. The main character Adalaide, struggles with a mysterious trauma that happened in her childhood during her time in the same area many years earlier. Things take a turn for worse when the family is stalked by a family who look exactly like them. This is where the movie shines the most, is that in some films the term “scene stealer” is one actor or actress that steals the show with a memorable performance. Quite literally every character in this film has many moments like this. After watching this film with a friend, we literally recapped all of the great moments and discussed all of the characters special moments in this film. If the unsastisfying end plot points were the low point, the vast majority of the films performances are the high point. Collectivley this cast was very on point with not only one role, but their twisted dark roles as well. Also the interaction between characters and their evil doppelgangers produced some very tense and harrowing moments. The film does have some interesting allegories and themes, and does create a discussion around environment, and the effects of the value of people when they are presented with privledge and oppurtunity, and shows the struggle of those who are prevented from the same positive attributions due to their surroundings. While not a perfect film, the strong performances by the cast, the thrilling horror elements, and the beyond the plot discussions of the films meaning make up for the lack of plot explanation. I would recommend this movie to horror fans and anyone interested in Jordan Peeles work. It’s a worthy film of your time.