Us: 7 Ways Jordan Peele Defies Modern Horror Conventions

After forgoing musical cues in its opening sequence, Us flips its approach as soon as the opening credits begin. An imposing chorus of Latin vocals hits the audience's ears, as their eyes take in row after row of bunny cages. There is nothing threatening about these bunnies, but they remain with the viewer throughout the entirety of the opening credits.

This lingering shot serves the obvious purpose of giving viewers time to ask questions. Why bunnies? Where are these cages? Is it important that there are so many more white bunnies than brown ones?

The questions don't stop at the bunnies. For the rest of the film, Us keeps viewers alert by providing musical cues where they don't seem to belong. Why are creepy strings accompanying a shot of seagulls flying over the beach? Why do the bouncy string beats over the Tethered family's first appearance feel like something out of a comedy rather than a horror? Why does Winston Duke continue to play the scene comedically long after the strings have begun their eerie crescendo?

None of this is done without purpose. The decision to place discomforting auditory cues over images that our eyes deem innocuous (or bouncy music over images that we deem unsettling) is enough to spark curiosity. Since Us sometimes likes to plant relevant details and thematic elements in the background, this is a brilliant way of training audiences to pay attention.

In many modern horror films, any auditory cue not signifying an actual creepy moment is usually just leading to a false jump scare. In the context of Us, it's something of a reverse-Pavlovian method of teaching audiences the value of remaining observant. The reward? Audiences who listen will learn the purpose of the bunnies long before their third-act reveal.