Anish Surepeddi’s review published on Letterboxd:
No single frame of "Us" was wasted. Peele has clearly done his research, as this film is a masterclass in technical filmmaking. The editing, cinematography, music and sound mixing/editing of this movie are precise in delivering tension that bolsters the narrative. There are a couple moments that I feel betray the purpose of the film's style. There are some things that were better explained and some that would've been better left ambiguous.
This movie actually reminded me so much of Shyamalan. Get Out was Peele's "Sixth Sense", where a first blow was delivered. This is like "Unbreakable". Not in plot, but that everyone will compare this to Peele's first effort when he is delivering something wholly different. There is a social message here, but the themes are nuanced and are understated, sometimes even to a fault.
While Get Out was more of a thriller, this embellishes the structure of a horror. Peele is a huge fan of horror, and this movie has homages to classics while delivering new sequences that will be remembered in history.
The cast delivers across the board. Even if their role didn't deliver, their doppelganger sure did. Lupita Nyong'o killed both roles and delivered the best female performance of the year so far, but she was just one piece of an intricate puzzle.
I hope we get a more unexpected narrative for Peele's upcoming movies, because I was able to predict the twist of both Get Out and Us. There are some logical fallacies and plot twists and decisions that come off as unneccessary, but Us proves that Jordan Peele is one of the best directors to watch in Hollywood. Even if he delivers a bad movie, I will always be the first in the theater because his work is so unique that it captivates me regardless of material. Us is a must watch.
