The Brave News

by Joshua Adoh

Jordan Peele has uncovered the meaning behind the twist end in his latest movie release, “Us!”

The brilliant and terrifying film has already notched more than $100 million at the box offices. Horror is not the foundation of the film, but rather a means of execution. 

Lupita Nyong’o’s masterful acting in “Us” returns respect to the horror genre. The film is an too early favorite to be just the second film in the genre to win an Oscar for “Best Picture” along with 1992’s “Silence of the Lambs,” as the amazing soundtrack from Michael Abels only solidifies the film’s merits.

After Jordan Peele’s latest success, in the movie “Get Out,” he could have easily made another socio-political horror film, but instead he manufactured the odd yet intriguing film “Us.” 

It is quite different from “Get Out,” as it is a perplexing film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Warning, this movie may have you walking out of the theater with a skewed and twisted perspective on society.

This movie’s about – maybe the monster is you. It’s about us, looking at ourselves as individuals and as a group. The protagonist in the movie is the surrogate for the audience, so it felt like at the end of the day, I wasn’t doing my core theme any justice if I wasn’t revealing that we have been the bad guy in this movie.  -Jordan Peele

How would you feel if you realised you weren’t as innocent as you believed?

How would you feel if the actions you’ve taken to save yourself meant harm to those around you?

These are the kind of questions that Jordan Peele indirectly asks his audience through his oddly relatable and multi-layered protagonist named Adelaide, played by Lupita Nyong’o. In the beginning of the film, the traumatic childhood that the character Adelaide experiences was indeed terrifying, yet incomplete.

“[Jordan Peele] wanted to make a monster movie, and in the best monster movies, the Universal monster movies, they allow their villains to have these different layers and to be multidimensional,” said the Los Angeles Times.

In the first weekend release, “Us” destroyed box office records and almost doubled analysts’ opening weekend projections, according to the LA Times.

For all those who do not like scary movies, you are in luck. Although “Us” is advertised as a horror film, it is certainly not typical of the genre.

Jordan Peele wanted to change the perspective of his audience while telling his story in a unique way, and he believed horror was the best way to execute his vision. This does not mean there are no scary moments, however.

Jordan Peele’s “Us” brought respect back to the horror genre and may be the second film in it’s genre to win an Oscar for best picture. I think it is safe to say that Jordan Peele will not be leaving this genre for some time.