By Lindsey Guallpa
There has been much discussion about the horror movie Us, directed by Jordan Peele. There are many reasons why the movie is worth watching. Below I offer a breakdown of the movie: WARNING! spoilers ahead.
The casting of Us is phenomenal. Firstly, director Peele had been adamant about having a mainly black cast to help bring diversity into the predominantly Caucasian, Hollywood movie industry. Us stars Lupita Nyong’o, a beautiful and phenomenal actress. She brings life to two different personalities by playing both Adelaide and her doppelgänger or shadow-double.
The horror aspect of Us focuses on the concept of having a doppelgänger in the shadows, which reveals how we are our own worst fears.
Lupita getting busy.
The beauty of this movie also comes across through the vivid visual symbolism inserted throughout the movie. A pair of scissors becomes symbolic of two different meanings: one being the basic duality of every person having a shadow. Scissors are also symbolic in Greek mythology, where goddesses known as the three Fates, use scissors to cut a string representing the length of someone’s life. Thus, when a doppelgänger talks about “the untethering” with Adelaide it is discussing cutting the string, or life line, between the two of them.
There is also significance in a quoted verse from the Bible, specifically Jeremiah 11:11. This number pops up quite often, to suggest a change will occur in society.
The phrase “red hands across America” is also very significant despite being seemingly unimportant. It pops up in the beginning and ends with “red hands across America” being seen as an advertisement. At the end, the movie shows us all the doppelgängers holding hands around the world. Thus, there really are red hands across America, as the doppelgängers all wear red jumpsuits. The doppelgängers wear red jump suits and gloves reflecting Adelaide’s vivid memory from when she was little of when her father won her the famous red Michael Jackson Thriller shirt— a costume which resembles (or perhaps inspired) what doppelgängers wear.
The shadows being kept in an underground tunnel, and eating raw rabbits, are a nod to Alice in Wonderland the story in which Alice jumps down into a rabbit hole, Moreover, rabbits multiply quickly and thus became their only food source.
The movie’s main plot twist has gotten mixed reviews, since some caught onto it early on, while others were completely surprised by it. There were scenes that clearly foreshadowed the idea that the original Adelaide was actually a shadow. Turns out, at some point they may have swapped places, which was hinted at in the script. The fact that her shadow was the only one that could speak, was the most upfront evidence. A viewer’s ability to notice these clues depends on one’s observational skills, as well as on how one draws connections while the details of a story unfold. The way Lupita had her character shift when killing, gave us a glimpse of something about her that didn’t sit quite right.
Overall, the movie was very well done. The horror here isn’t built solely around shocking violence and “jump” scares, but stays focused instead on how a smart, suspenseful concept can create tremendous amounts of psychological fear. Us—a complex horror fantasy made believable by phenomenal actresses and actors—is an important movie to see. It also inspires fun conspiracy theories among fans,who remain curious even after the end credits roll, about how the doppelgängers came to be.
“