Catching up: ‘Us’ ★★★½

By Bob Bloom

“Us” gets under your skin and make you question your place in the world.

Jordan Peele’s follow-up to “Get Out,” like many horror films throughout the decades, uses the genre to question the norms and rules of society.

“Us” is a move that looks at the forgotten and disenfranchised — literally those who live in the shadows and have no real place in our world.

What happens, though, when these people decide to step into the light? That is what Peele is questioning and examining in “Us.”

The movie contains shocks and violence, but it relies more on performances than blood and brutality.

All the actors perform double duty — as themselves and their doppelgangers.

Lupita Nyong’o anchors the cast as Adelaide who, as a young girl, suffered a traumatic incident that has haunted her ever since.

Now married with two children, she and her family or on vacation, but Adelaide is uncomfortable and fearful. She feels as if something is coming to turn her world upside down.

A strong supporting cast, including Winston Duke, Elizabeth Moss, Shahadi Wright-Joseph and Evan Alex, complement Nyong’o and help propel the story.

“Us,” written and directed by Peele, is more unsettling than scary. Yes, it provides a few goosebumps, but its impact is more disquieting than shocking.

At times, it seems Peele has tried to add too much to his premise, but he deserves kudos for his effort.

You hold your breath during many sequences of “Us,” not sure what is going to happen — or even where the movie is going. Peele deftly keeps you on edge.

And while the finale may be a bit of overreach, you cannot help but respect “Us” and Peele’s filmmaking abilities.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

US
3½ stars out of 4
(R), violence, terror, language