The horror genre has been in a renaissance the past few years, as filmmakers bring new and exciting concepts to the silver screen, and scare the crap out of moviegoers in the process. Rather than stale franchises and torture porn, the genre is thriving thanks to the unique perspective of its contributors. And there's no one quite on top of the game like Jordan Peele.
Jordan Peele made his directorial debut with 2017's Get Out, which he also wrote and produced. The film was a massive critical and financial success, and Peele even earned an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. All eyes were on what would be his follow-up, and this weekend Us finally arrives in theaters. Us has been teased to be much scarier than Get Out, but Peele thinks that the movie is still accessible for moviegoers who aren't necessarily horror buffs. As he tells it,
I think this is a scarier movie than Get Out, but I'm being told that people who don't like horror movies still like this movie. I think the fun outweighs the scary.
While Us has been promised to be a terrifying time in the theater, Jordan Peele seems to think that non-horror fans will still enjoy the project. Namely, because there's still moments of fun in the movie that will outweigh the various jump scares and atmospheric tension.
Jordan Peele's comments to E! Online may give some cinephiles a sense of relief. The hype around Us has been significant, and the movie is already a critical darling. The reviews tease just how terrifying the horror movie is, which may scare off moviegoers who don't typically shell out cash to watch a movie while hiding behind their hands.
Smart money says that Jordan Peele includes moments of levity and fun throughout the course of Us (at least before the chaos begins). Get Out certainly let the director use his comedy roots during the film's first two acts, as things around Daniel Kaluuya's Chris began getting gradually more bizarre. It only seems logical that Us would do the same, especially as Peele teases the fun aspect of his sophomore film.
It should also be interesting to see what message Jordan Peele ultimately shares with Us, as his projects usually have deep connections to the real world. Get Out was a social commentary about race in a post-Obama world, while Us' message is still a bit more mysterious ahead of the film's release.
Jordan Peele took the concept of a doppelganger family from his childhood fears, and the movie has been teased to be a parable about self-destruction. But I've got a feeling the director has some more tricks up his sleeve for the highly anticipated horror flick.
Us is in theaters March 22nd. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
