*no spoilers*  

The movie “US”, written and directed by Jordan Peele, hit theaters March 22 of this year. Receiving a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was almost as big a hit as Peele’s last film, “Get Out,” which received a 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes in 2017. “US” takes place in present day and stars some well-known actors.   

A New York Times review praises actress Lupita Nyong’o for her “vibrant, appealing screen presence,” describing how in her performance, “Nyong’o brings a tremendous range and depth of feeling to both characters, who she individualizes with such clarity and lapidary detail that they aren’t just distinct beings; they feel as if they were being inhabited by different actors.” 

In “US,” married couple Gabe (Winston Duke) and Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) take their children to their summer beach house, Adelaide’s childhood home, intending to spend time with friends at the beach. However, their tranquility soon turns to tension and chaos when a group of strangers arrive in the middle of the night, strangers referred to as “The Tethered” and who appear to be mirror images of the Wilsons. The movie focuses on the main character Adelaide and her flashbacks from her past, as well as the anarchy the U.S. breaks out into after the Tethered arrive.  

The movie begins with the family arriving at the summer home, Gabe wanting to go meet their friends at the beach. The arrival causes Adelaide to experience flash backs, suggesting to the audience her discomfort with the beach; however, she agrees to go with her family as long as they are back by sundown. While at the beach we find out Adelaide used to be a ballet dancer, but that conversation is interrupted when her son goes missing. This upsets Adelaide to the point of hysterics, though the audience soon learns her son only went to the bathroom without telling anyone. This results in the family leaving the beach.

When they get back to the house, Adelaide confesses to Gabe that when she was a little girl, she went missing at that same beach they were just at. During her separation from her parents, she went into a hall of mirrors and ran into a little girl who looked exactly like her. She tells her husband that ever since then, she feels as if this little girl has been out to get her.

Every time a coincidence happens Adelaide feels as if the ‘mirror girl’ is only one step behind her. Simultaneously, many coincidences have happened since arriving to the summer home. It is then that the family of look a-likes arrive in their driveway and that is when all hell breaks loose. The movie continues by the family being terrorized by The Tethered, and flashbacks from Adelaide. In the end, almost everything comes together.  

In an interview with VICE, Peele reveals that the movie looks into how “maybe the monster is you. It’s about us, looking at ourselves as individuals and as a group.” 

Buena Vista University’s free Wednesday movie nights brought by SAB allowed a majority of students to go view the film. Many left confused, discomforted, and uneasy.  

“I thought it was an amazing movie,” shared BVU student Scott Leonard. “Jordan Peele does an amazing job putting a hidden message in all of his movies. I highly recommend anyone who hasn’t seen it to go see it.”  

BVU student Brandon Foster added that, “The horror behind ‘US’ wasn’t what made it one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. It was the psychological aspect of it. This movie plays games with your mind.” 

To watch the trailer for the film, click below: 

https://youtu.be/1tzFRIQfwXg