#evan alex

[brokehorrorfan]

Mondo will release an Us poster by Francesco Francavilla tomorrow, August 18, at 12pm EST. Expected to ship in January, the 24x36 screen print is limited to 275 and costs $60.

[escapismthroughfilm]

#31

[ceteradesunt]

Us (2019) dir. Jordan Peele

[cieuxgris]

Us (2019) Posters

[lovecatnip]

US

2019

[adamwatchesmovies]

Us (2019)

As audiences become increasingly concerned with details rather than the artistry and emotional impact of stories, I wonder how Us will fare in the long run. When everything is laid out on the table, there’s a bunch of stuff here that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but you’d be wrong to dismiss a sci-fi horror film for not adhering to the rules or reality. Instead, focus on the ideas within, the tension it generates and the excellent performances.

Years ago, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) encountered a doppelgänger of herself in a funhouse hall of mirrors. In present-day, she and her family - husband Gabe (Winston Duke), daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright) and son Jason (Evan Alex) - return to the same beach and are attacked by the same woman. This time, “Red” (also played by Nyong'o) is accompanied by doubles of the entire family. They think like their counterparts and are determined to shed blood.

This is a frightening film but the chills you get come from just how… strange of a scenario this is. The Wilson family duplicates are deranged parodies with a dark twist. Gabe is a bit of a weenie; when he tries to intimidate the intruders from a distance, you can tell he doesn’t even believe in his own ability to frighten. By contrast, “Abraham” is a hulking, silent brute. Jason’s duplicate is the hideously burned and animal-like "Pluto", a vision of what might’ve happened to the boy if he managed to get that lighter he keeps playing with working. The most striking of the “Tethered” by far is Red, who is so unsettling, so like Adelaide but so unlike her, you hardly believe they’re played by the same actress. When the Tethered and their eerie appearances are combined with the home invasion-like plot, it gets scary. Their uniforms - a red jumpsuit combined with a single glove on the right hand - and the weapons they wield - pairs of scissors - combined with the numbers and visual motifs that keep popping up make it seem as though a gate to some other realm has been opened, or a prophecy fulfilled. Even before they show up, you feel something ominous coming.

Writer/director Jordan Peele once again shows an awareness uncommon in horror filmmakers. His characters are smart and resourceful. When under attack, they grab weapons, they band together, they work to ensure their survival. You like them. You want the family to survive. The mystery of what exactly is happening is made further engaging by the filmmaking. Some jaw-droppingly stylish sequences make great use of music, particularly towards the end. There's also just a bit of humor mixed in to break the tension when necessary.

The first time I saw Us, I couldn’t put my finger on what it all meant. Clearly, Peele wants to say something… but what? This time, I think I’ve got it. Even before reading his explanation, I saw the film as a commentary on class and circumstances. Red and Adelaide are essentially the same person. It just happens that one was born along with the Tethered, where there are no opportunities. These people survive on the bare minimum, while those above live in comparative luxury. Then, there’s more. See, it’s revealed (in a twist that’s not all that hard to decipher) that years ago, Red and Adelaide switched places. It proves the Tethered could be “rehabilitated” and live normal lives. There is room for everyone to be happy… except no one even considers it an option. When the real Adelaide comes back to the surface, it isn’t to tell the world what her adopted people have been suffering through; it’s to kill. You could see this as a sign that our way of living needs to be smashed - at the end of the film, the Tethered are seen “ruling the world” in harmony. Then again, at what cost was this victory? When Jason uses his influence upon his duplicate to burn him to death, everyone is distraught, and that’s to say nothing of all the other people who died. There’s a lot to read in there, so does it matter that the hows and whys of an entire country’s population living underground after a failed experiment raises a lot of questions? Not in the grand scheme of things.

Us is a strange film. Its meaning is hard to decipher at first. Even when all the cards are laid out, you could easily get lost in the mechanics of its scenario. What matters is what the film does well, which is a lot. The performances are chilling, the visuals striking and as a whole, the picture is unforgettable. The tension is like two hands gripped around your throat, which gives it a lot of re-watch value. (October 15, 2021)

[angelstills]

Us (2019)

[filmpalette]

Us (2019) dir. Jordan Peele

[dorawinifredread]

[thishadoscarbuzz]

202 - Us

Few filmmaking ascents have been as exciting and heralded as Jordan Peele’s with the arrival of Get Out in 2017. After creating lasting cultural importance and winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, Peele’s follow-up was one of the most eagerly awaited films before it was even announced. And in early 2019, the follow-up would be Us, a sci-fi/horror film with American societal divides on its mind and a daring performance by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o at its center. The film was an equal box office success to Peele’s debut, though it received a less unanimous response in terms of how well he pulls off its metaphors. What kept the film in awards discussion was Nyong’o performance, including SAG and Critics’ Choice nominations, but missing out on the Oscar lineup.

This episode, we discuss our feverish anticipation of Jordan Peele’s upcoming Nope and unpack the layers of Us’ allegory. We also look at the brilliant and less recognized performances from Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss, the 2017 Oscars where Get Out faced stiff competition, and the 2019 Best Actress race.

Topics also include supposed genre bias against other actresses, critics groups as awards influencers, and our 2019 Best Actress ballots.

Links:

The 2019 Oscar nominations

Subscribe:

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[bonniehooper]

Endless List of My Favorite Movies

Us (2019)

[brokehorrorfan]

Cavity Colors has released Jordan Peele's Us apparel: three T-shirts designed by Yannick Bouchard and Jert ($30) and a long sleeve designed by Brandon Stecz ($40).

[bpgthoughts]

Black Boy Joy (2019) This just came on MovieMax channel about a guy raising his autistic son and dealing with the emotional difficulty of that right after the death of his mother.. it is a great short film showing what is not often seen in many films.. dealing with Black men in a vulnerable and emotional position.

It is only like 15 or so minutes, but I enjoyed it.

[anewfolktale]

Us (Jordan Peele, 2019)

[aromanticbuck]

AITA for coming out at my sister's wedding?

I (32M) recently realized I'm bisexual and I have my first bf (45M), he's a rescue helicopter pilot (this will be relevant later). I'm out to my sister (41F) and my coworkers, including her husband, who I have worked with for years, but not to my parents or most of the other guests. Everyone has joked that I'm a little too close to my best friend (32M), and we might as well get married, but he's straight and has a gf. They're not relevant to this story, but to give context to how much my sexuality probably shouldn't be a surprise, even if it took me by surprise.

I told my sister and her husband I was bringing a plus one, and they both knew my bf, they were supportive of it because he makes me really happy.

Everything kind of started at the bachelor party. It was just me, my brother-in-law, and my best friend, and we did the usual stuff. We stayed a night in a hotel, went out to get drunk, sang some karaoke at our usual spot. It should have been a super chill night. Until my best friend and I lost the groom??? But it way more stressful than The Hangover makes it look.

He'd been taken by these guys who tried to kill him (no, I don't know why) and we didn't realize he was missing until less than an hour before the wedding. My mom kind of threw a fit about us being late, and then blamed me for losing the groom, which is kind of a normal reaction from her. My dad didn't yell as much but again, this is a normal reaction, I'm kind of the disappointment child. Basically, we had to find my brother-in-law because he still needed to marry my sister.

Before anyone worries: they did get married. He's fine. The hospital says they're discharging him tomorrow to go home. They're gonna reschedule their honeymoon so he's well enough to enjoy it.

Long story short, it turned into a rescue mission, and driving would have taken too long, and my best friend suggested we ask my bf to borrow his helicopter again (long story, but we had to borrow him for something a few months ago, it's how we met!) so I asked him for the favor. My mom asked who he was, since my best friend just used his name, and I told her he's my boyfriend, and she freaked out about it.

When we go to the hospital with my brother-in-law, my parents both yelled at and scolded me for taking attention away from the biggest day of my sister's life by pulling some "stunt" with my bf (to SAVE my brother-in-law from being violently murdered), and I think my dad somehow grounded me?

AITA?

[alexsays-no]

Ice-skating love ♡♡♡