By Chris Kavan - 03/21/19 at 07:37 AM CT
As Captain Marvel continues its domination at the box office, it faces it's first true test with new horror maestro Jordan Peele. After creating waves with Get Out, he looks to continue his winning streak with Us, and I've got to say, it looks great from a horror standpoint. And, despite using an idea that has been done before, Us also looks like nothing else out there, so points for originality. Now, the question is how much it is going to eat into Captain Marvel's bottom line. I still think the female-driven MCU film is going to top the box office, but I think Us is going to wind up doing pretty good on its own.
US As I said, Jordan Peele has come a long way from being part of the comedic duo Key & Peele and is now one of the hottest names in horror. Get Out was revelation - unlike anything else out there and very effective thriller while a none-too-subtle jab about race in America. While Us doesn't look to have that big of social impact, it also looks to up the horror quotient. The film follows the Wilson family - Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) and Gabe (Winston Duke) and their two children, Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex) who are visiting friends in Santa Cruz, Kitty and Josh Tyler (Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker). But after an incident at the beach where Jason wanders off, Adelaide becomes super protective. Later that night, the family is visited by strangers clad all in red - strangers who bear a striking resemblance to themselves, but twisted, evil versions and soon they realize they must kill or be killed, even as the world falls apart around them. The idea of evil doppelgangers is nothing new, but the way in which Peele presents it looks fascinating and truly disturbing. And it is getting some rave reviews (98% on Rotten Tomatoes) with Nyong'o getting the most praise for her turn as protective mother/evil psychopath in equal measure. Duke is considered the comedic relief in an otherwise dark, heavy film - and a little levity goes a long way in movies like this. Us looks to up the scares while still providing some commentary about the state of America. I, for one, can't wait to see what Peele has cooked up and I'm sure the box office will reflect his talent.
Captain Marvel and Us are going to face off and while the superhero may still have the upper hand, Us should put up a tough fight. I'll be back Sunday with the results.
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