10 Horror Movies Where The American Dream Becomes A Nightmare
2. Us
Looked at from a certain perspective, Jordan Peele’s unsettling, high concept sophomore effort is an inspiring rags-to-riches story. We follow the Wilson family, on their way to a beach vacation. The destination holds bad memories for mother Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o, exceptional), for whom a childhood trip ended badly, though details are withheld.
The idyllic weekend takes a horrifying turn when the family are held hostage by their own doppelgangers. In a petrifying scene, Adelaide’s double, Red, tells us about the world beneath our own, where identical but twisted clones of each of us live a hellish mirror existence of their above-ground versions.
The “Tethered” people have had enough, and in a violent uprising they emerge from their subterranean prison to claim their own slice of the pie. Us is a film all about haves and have-nots, and if you can overlook the brutality, what the Tethered attempt is in keeping with the American dream, the freedom to strive for something above your position.
The film ends on a fantastic (if somewhat predictable) twist, which gives the whole aspirational element a sting. If the political element is a little less direct than Peele’s Get Out, the visceral nature of Us is unforgettable.