Until its “ah-ha” moment at the end, Jordan Peele’s Get Out was a unique blend of almost satire, almost horror, and almost political statement. Staying at almost would have kept it above standard, but there’s no denying the ending was a predictable horror cliche, keeping me from giving it anything above 3 stars.
Now, Jordan Peele intends on going all out on the horror genre but ends up giving us a hip M. Night Shyamalan/make-up-the-rules-as-we-go affair. It’s insulting to the viewer as Peele unfolds his unique exposition and then throws in a random, metaphorical interpretation to an ending that prompted groans in the theatre.
I was reminded of The Village when every absurdity that happened five minutes before had to be explained through another absurdity, and then when there was really nowhere else to go with the writer/director’s own cinematic logic, the viewer just goes home, and the writer/director says, “You didn’t get my movie.”
In fact, the more that I try to buy into Peele’s premise that his antagonists are also “human,” the more loopholes and miscalculations I come up with, and that’s all I can say to avoid spoilers.
Lupita Nyong’o is still fascinating, and Peele’s camera work is stunning, keeping this at a solid 2 stars for me. (At least I wasn’t snoring like my neighbor.)
Reely Bernie 
I’ve seen Us twice, and have to agree with your review; don’t think it’s as good as everyone says. Somehow the metaphor makes more sense than the actual story, which tries too hard to top itself with twist after twist until it becomes scrambled! Great review!
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That was one of my first reviews when I was trying to get my blog started. It’s a humble, shaky start, but I appreciate you reading it. And, yes, the originality of the metaphors is compelling, but it can only go so far with the tangible world. Both were too far fetched for me to bite. The latest Invisible Man at least touches on all possibilities – the supernatural, the sci-fi creation, and even a MeToo metaphor – and its done so much more seamlessly and believably.
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Invisible Man is in my in-tray, will have a look. I’m the same in that my early reviews were short and less developed, but as time goes on, you get into a groove. But I really appreciate hearing reviews that don’t just toe the line, and your Us review is unusual in that is kicks back against the crowd’s thinking; great to read!
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Much appreciated again. I felt the same way against the Midsommar grain 🙂
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I am really enjoying your blog but here we disagree, I loved Us. On the surface it was a compelling and often surprising horror film but it’s all about what’s dwelling below that, waiting to be unearthed and this is were I thought it was most clever. The film is a metaphor for itself as much as it is a allegory about American society.
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Yes, I think I need to see this again. I understand your metaphor explanation, and it rings true when connecting it to the second half of the movie. There’s no doubt it’s original. Jordan Peele will continue to make waves in film – in a good way! I’m just afraid that once he takes the rabbit out of the hat, he forces himself into the incredulous or the far-reaching. It’s still a good go, though, and his work is far superior to the average cookie cutter horror movie these days. I will give this another go soon. Thank you for your input on this one!
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