Film Review: Us

Us, writer and director Jordan Peele’s followup to 2017’s Oscar-winning Get Out, cements the filmmaker’s well-deserved reputation as horror’s “next big thing.” A whirlwind of humor, thrills, and creepy imagery, the film is a living denial of the sophomore slump, even if it never reaches the airtight highs of his debut. Along with cinematographer Mike Gioulakis (It Follows) and a tour de force cast, Peele supplies a gorgeously crafted narrative and bracing social commentary, but also falls short of true greatness with his penchant for hand-holding and blunt-force messaging. Mild spoilers ahead…