Moviegoers have been greatly anticipating the release of Us, the next horror film from the Oscar-winning Jordan Peele. Peele knocked it out of the park with his first film, Get Out, and people are eager to see what else the writer-director has in store. Us has looked great and super creepy in trailers, but the film finally got in front of an audience during the SXSW film festival this weekend. Critics were quick to share their thoughts and they had some extremely high praise for the movie.
CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell praised the film's storytelling, scares, and "gut punch of a twist." He was one of many critics to single out Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o's performance in particular.
Written and directed by Jordan Peele, Us follows a family of four as they are taken hostage in their home by twisted doppelgangers, bringing to life the notion that we are our own worst enemies. Given what a success Get Out was, people have high hopes for Us and it sounds like there will be no sophomore slump for Peele. Critics are teasing that this is a great film worthy of plenty of rewatches and it's especially strong work from Peele.
Wow! Masterpiece is not a word that is thrown around lightly, and critic Clayton Davis was not afraid to put it to use. Davis has loads of praise to give Jordan Peele, writing that we are witnessing the birth of a modern day Alfred Hitchcock. Again, wow! That's seriously high praise and, ordinarily, I would say to temper expectations to avoid being over-hyped, but this isn't the only critic gushing about Us.
Critic Jen Yamato writes the the film is a precise challenge to your nerves and that it will likely traumatize the young people who sneak in to see it in theaters. She also pointed the spotlight on star Lupita Nyong'o, who gives one hell of a performance as the family matriarch and her creepy doppelganger. Plenty of other critics also praised Nyong'o's and co-star Winston Duke's acting.
So, the film is extremely well put together, but this is a horror film. How scary is it? Well, it sounds like it's going to curl your toes.
If I was going to trust any critic about the scariness of a movie, it would be one whose last name is Fear. Critic David Fear simply writes that the movie is "fucking terrifying," so horror fans are in for a real treat.
Other critics have said that the film isn't quite the same as Get Out, and it might push its runtime a bit with ambitious ideas, but it's still thrilling and very well put together. At least a few critics have said that the film resembles an extra long episode of The Twilight Zone, which is especially good news for the upcoming reboot.
We'll all be able to see Us for ourselves when the film arrives on March 22.
