I recently went to see the horror film, Us, directed by Jordan Peele with a friend this past weekend, and watching this movie allowed me to see how much movies and media in general are a reflection of our society and the problems we face. On the surface level, the movie was an exciting thriller, with occasional jump scares, killings and murders, evil antagonists, and suspense, also filled with humor along the way. I found this movie rather strange, in terms of the concept of the movie’s plot, and not as horrifying when comparing it to other horror movies I’ve watched, such as The Conjuring or slasher films like the Halloween franchise, but I realized that the “strange” concept behind the movie’s terror was actually a reflection of our society.
In Jordan Peele’s film, we are introduced to two main families that are friends, a middle class Black family and a wealthier White family. Each of these humans and everyone else across the nation have a doppelgänger, or an exact carbon copy of themselves. They’ve lived underground for many years, and are called the Tethered, sick and tired of being forgotten and ignored by their human counterparts. When the Tethered call themselves “Americans,” I actually laughed, since this statement seemed so paradoxical in the circumstances of the plot. However, after watching the movie and talking with my friend about that line and the overall meaning behind these strange characters, I realized that these Tethered people were a reflection of our nation and our people. I watched an interview with Jordan Peele about what this movie meant, especially after the change in social commentary from his first film, Get Out, and he called ourselves as our own worst enemy. This concept was integrated into this film to present commentary vital for understanding our nation’s current situation.
For me, I felt that each of these human “reflections” demonstrate how uncomfortable we are with our true selves. We don’t want to look at ourselves in the mirror and recognize and accept our flaws, our mistakes, and our warped mindsets and opinions. Peele turns these human clones into savages or monsters with an uncivilized and chaotic demeanor, but in reality, they are us, which is ironically the title of the movie. They are the people of our country. The Tethered are hungry for power, acceptance, and recognition, just like the conflict between political parties, genders, and races/ethnicities, and each conflicting group to be recognized and accepted wholly. Furthermore, the endless conflicts we face in our society today are caused and worsened by the very people that make up this nation. We have become our worst enemy, fighting our own reflections.
While watching the movie, I also saw commentary regarding the insecurity and shallowness of wealth and high status. As middle class families, the Wilsons’ family’s (The main Black family the movie is centered around) sense of inferiority and need to be recognized as higher in status, stems from their affluent white friends we meet on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. When Gabriel, the comical father of the Wilson family, buys a boat just because everyone else had one, it symbolizes the desire many of us have to satisfy status through materialistic possessions. Again, like the concept of the doppelgangers, Peele provides plot details, this one being rather humorous, to bring in deep social commentary necessary for us Americans to become actively aware of. I believe this film highlights Peele’s criticism of America’s obsession with status, and the arrogance that affluence can breed especially in our society nowadays. Even though the boat Gabe buys barely works, he is still able to brag to his rich friends that he possesses an item that raises his status.
Movies and entertainment in general often provide insightful social commentary that provides for a fun experience to hang out with friends or get a good scare, but many movies go much deeper than surface level fear. Movie producers like Jordan Peele delve into why it is that we fear certain things, or more specifically, the psychology behind these general fears and the resulting societal norms that are especially prevalent in our society today. During the movie, I was mostly waiting for the jump scares during the tense scenes, who would be murdered next by these Tethered people, or what was the significance behind some of Peele’s most creative aspects of the film, but afterwards, while discussing with my friend and watching an interview with Peele, I realized the depth these thrillers have that reflect the situation of our society today.
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