Us: 7 Ways Jordan Peele Defies Modern Horror Conventions

Some directors try hard to justify their villain designs through backstory, but many horror movies present villains that seem to be designed primarily from an aesthetic perspective rather than a story-based one. There's no reason to bring a hockey mask to a woodland campsite other than so Jason Voorhees can steal it and develop his signature look. Pre-immolation Freddy Krueger was presumably hoping to get away with his murders, yet he crafted the least subtle weapon imaginable.

The Tethered, while clearly designed with aesthetics in mind, tell a cohesive story through their design. While we may not know where they got the red jumpsuits, we can easily identify their inspiration as the red silhouettes on Adelaide's Hands Across America t-shirt. We can identify scissors as a sensible weapon choice for an event referred to as "The Untethering," as well as an easy weapon to carry in a jumpsuit pocket. Even Red's blonde eyebrows hint at a backstory, one that adds depth to her character not exposited through dialogue.

As explained in an interview with makeup head Scott Wheeler, Red's eyebrows were bleached by exposure to Pluto's fires. She is not the only one to get burned - a close look at Umbrae reveals her eyebrows to be almost entirely missing. Despite the disdain that Red expresses for her family when introducing them to the Wilsons, they are as bonded to each other as they are to their surface-dwelling counterparts. Evidently, this bond is not without consequences.

This adds an interesting layer to the film's themes of being burdened by the familiar, an impressive feat for a simple makeup choice. The Tethered do not appear to love each other, yet they are stuck together nonetheless. This mirrors the Wilsons, who sometimes feel stuck together yet clearly share an undeniable love.

Such an interpretation might be possible without Wheeler's makeup decisions, but characterization through visual design is an important element of filmmaking that Us adeptly incorporates.