Us is a movie with an ambitious plot that comes close to hitting all its marks but just doesn’t quite get there. Outstanding acting with an original story that attempts to creep you out, only to leave you confused and wanting in its final act. Us starts off by sending very weird signals that eventually lead you to some crazy questions, only to answer those questions in a vague and unsatisfying manner. Us feels as if the majority of the movie was thought out thoroughly until explanations were needed, at which point it turns into anti-climatic finale that makes you question whether the writing was visionary or incomplete.

Jordan Peele had a unique concept in developing Us. Despite the failures in the story, the acting he received in the attempt to bring his vision forward was top notch. Lupita Nyong’o (Adelaide Wilson) plays both roles excellently. One of a mother desperate to defend her family, and another as a deranged version of the first. The emotion portrayed by her in the first role is captivating and the physical acting she does in her second role defines the movies tone. Winston Duke (Gabe Wilson) does well in his role as the father and keeps the dialogue light yet natural during a mostly intense movie. The children, Evan Alex (Jason Wilson) and Shahadi Wright Joseph (Zora Wilson), also do a great job of playing the dual roles, especially for their age. The acting in Us was so on point that by the time the movie ends you almost feel let down. As if an opportunity to put the icing on a delicious cake was missed.

Us really sucks you in at first. From the trailers that have been on every social media news feed, to the early critical hype that has been spread, Us attaches you to this family by the time the lights dim in the theatre. By the time they come back on you are left feeling as if someone forgot to push the last button at a fireworks show and everyone is waiting for the big finale. You leave the theatre with a vague sense of completion, but can’t help but feeling unsatisfied. On a scale of gore for horror films, Us is on the low end, although there’s enough to make this movie viewable by a mature audience only. A very creepy movie, but I would hesitate to call Us scary at any point. Us makes you question many things throughout it’s run time, only to answer enough so that you don’t leave the theatre mad. If you are on the fence for this one I would suggest sitting Us out until home viewing but be sure to stay away from spoilers. There are a few key moments you will want to experience yourself. I would not call Us a failure by any means. Jordan extracted some strong performances from his cast and had the beginning two acts on a clear path that somehow becomes disappointingly foggy at the end. This is a case of the Hollywood hype machine being disproportionate to the actual product.

If you agree or disagree with this review, we would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment, rating, or call the voicemail (815- 905-1414) to let us know how you feel.