Us

Ask M. Knight Shyamalan how hard it is to make a second movie when your first effort is a great movie like “The Sixth Sense.”  His next outing was not well-recieved and further movies never quite measured up.  Well, there’s no sophomore jinx for Jordan Peele ! “Us” is a compelling and worthy successor to “Get Out.”  “Us” is the story of a typical American family, headed by Adelaide (a dazzling Lupita Nyong’o) and Gabe (Winston Duke), who are on vacation with their two kids near the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.  Adelaide had a scare in a house of mirrors at that very same beach when she was a kid, which has left her very traumitized. So she is more than a little paranoid about her family’s safety and well being when they stay in a vacation rental close by the beach.  And sure enough, after her son runs into a very strange character and approaches the mirror house, the next night they are stalked by a family of shadowy doppelgangers who want to harm, and perhaps take over, the lifes of those they resemble.  Most of the rest of the movie is bloody, scary, suspenseful and provocative.  There is a lot to think about in this movie, including the title.  Us can also be inturrpeted as U.S.  In fact, the doppelgangers call themselves Americans at one point.  Is it as good as “Get Out”?  I would say no. partly because it is a little disjointed and contains a few plot holes (but so do  a lot of pretty great movies) and partly because there was so much hype.  But it doesn’t matter because this is a top-notch horror film, and even if I did guess the “twist,” it was still well-worth the ride to get there.  Does the ending open up the possiblity of a sequel?  Definitely.  If another “Us” is indeed in the works; I will definitely be there!