Movie Review
Has Jordan Peele's new horror 'Us' been horrifically overhyped?
The 'Get Out' director explores the dark fears of the psyche in this story of creepy doppelgangers starring Lupita N'yongo
After the success of his 2017 horror debut Get Out, there was significant pressure on director Jordan Peele. In the two years since then he's produced Spike Lee's BlackKklansman, signed on to create a reboot of 1950s sci-fi classic The Twilight Zone and has returned to direct his second film, Us.
Amid much hype, critics have acclaimed the film and it enjoyed one of the biggest box-office weekend openings in US history last week. Peele seems to have cemented his place as one of the smartest, most innovative new directors of the horror genre.
However, if you remove the film from its clouds of ecstatic appreciation and breathless commentary, the truth is that Us is a very well-executed and aesthetically pleasing piece of horror that isn't really about all that much, leading to its over-appreciation as being about everything. There's nothing easier to project on than a pretty-looking blank slate...
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