Us

It goes by quickly without getting boring, Peele delivers a very original concept that plays with our expectations, but unfortunately, this incomprehensible genre hodgepodge can’t never fully satisfy its ambitions of social comedy-horror. Get Out was solidly built on paranoia and the humour worked like an almost welcome relief, Us is packed with ideas, jokes and wannabe shocking twists, but it doesn’t give the viewer a chance to comfortably get into the story and enjoy the concept or feel scared. And no, I don’t think the experience can improve with a rewatch. 60% (03/04/2019)

Is it possible that this was made by the creator of the brilliant Get Out?! Us does not work on any level as an attempt at horror with certain (perhaps philosophical?!) overtones. Though it is a technically flawless Hollywood movie, it is laughable and unbelievable in terms of its content. Scenes that are supposed to be scary are instead embarrassing to the point of being ridiculous; the dialogue, which is supposed to be wittily cool, is unnatural and silly. There is seemingly an attempt at an interesting existential element in the uncovering of the story’s mystery, but it turns out to be WTF nonsense. It’s as if the sophisticated violin of Shyamalan’s early originality and Stephen King’s thematic distinctiveness were supposed to be employed here, but there was only enough talent for a child’s ukulele with half of its strings missing. (16/10/2020)

An overly calculated and sure-footed Oscar-winning film that ticks off the likely situations to come, and they do come, including the pathetic ending. But the dialogues between Tony and Shirley are hilariously written, there's a great spark between them and I laughed my heart out at times. Viggo plays my peer, always eating like me, getting a pot belly like me, just cute. I'd like him to win an Oscar, more than Rami "look-at-my-brutal-attempt" Malek, and more than Ali, who to me is an actor of one expression. (29/07/2019)

For the first three quarters, the second film of Jordan Peele gave me a “fuller” horror experience than his début Get Out. It has first-rate craftsmanship, a brilliant premise, excellent performances led by Lupita Nyongo, and the humour is better incorporated and not intruding. Us was about to get an enthusiastic five-star rating, especially with the social overlap about some kind of uprising of those less fortunate than us being very topical, but unfortunately, it derails by the end. The closing mythological explanation either shouldn’t have been there (so that the doubles worked on a purely allegorical level), or it should have been more bulletproof, because the way it’s presented makes you poke into several practical details of the working of the world of the doubles, which is a road to hell. And the very last twist is even more confusing. Immediately after the screening, I’m not sure whether it didn’t unintendedly make the film lose its meaning. At the same time, I’m looking forward to watching it again in the future and, already knowing the twists, see if it makes sense or not. In any case, Us does provide plenty of material for an “autopsy” and I’m sure it’ll remain in my head for awhile, which is appreciated. (26/03/2019)

The year before last, audiences received a film that defied all established horror norms, offering truly effective scenes (whether dialogue-driven or filled with tension and dense atmosphere) and, above all, a well-crafted script full of innovative ideas with no logical gaps. Yes, I’m talking about Get Out from the same director who made Us this year. While Get Out could be considered a perfect cinematic event in every way, Us was a step back. Unfortunately... Initially, I didn’t dismiss the film outright. The plot was unfolding at a reasonably satisfying pace, not pushing too hard, and the director aimed to make the resolution in the middle of the film have a strong impact on the audience. This did happen, but in a negative sense. I admit, many things went over my head; I just didn’t get it. What irritated me most were the screenwriting attempts to lighten the horror atmosphere with some jokes, which didn’t work at all. The film itself, at times, came across as comical in its execution and overall tone, which I don’t think was the filmmakers’ intention. The ending could have saved it with its explanation, but in my view, it only confused most viewers more. I’m disappointed. On the other hand, I wouldn’t write Peele off after one failure. His two-year-old debut convinced me that he has great potential, which I believe he will fully realize in the future. It just didn’t work out this time, so hopefully next time. I give it 43%. (24/07/2019)