US Spoiler Thread (SPOILERS ARE ALLOWED)

[ddddeeee]

There's an episode of 'Hammer House of Horror' called 'Two Faces of Evil' that tackles the doppelganger idea - it's really disturbing and fairly scary.

 

(Not criticising Us, which I mostly enjoyed.)

[Noctis]

The fight between Adelaide and Red in the tunnel was superb filmmaking - I absolutely loved it and was one of the highlights for me. The way Adelaide kept losing control and Red dodging her attacks with such grace intertwined with the shots of their younger selves dancing made it one of the most memorable standoff sequences. 

[JohnnyGossamer]

2 hours ago, Noctis said:

The fight between Adelaide and Red in the tunnel was superb filmmaking - I absolutely loved it and was one of the highlights for me. The way Adelaide kept losing control and Red dodging her attacks with such grace intertwined with the shots of their younger selves dancing made it one of the most memorable standoff sequences. 

That was awesome. A moment I wish there more of in this movie. Maybe the high point along with the invasion at that friend's house and the opening before the credits.

[Valonqar]

15 hours ago, Djsoke said:

I thought that Jason had gotten some "tethered-ness" from his mother, which is why his relationship with his duplicate was different, and why he had been able to figure it out at the end. Could be wrong though

saw the movie again for details and he's definitely the son of both worlds, hence spending the whole movie wearing 2 faces - a boy and a monster (his mask, always perched on top of his head except when he puts it on).  In fact, when he goes for the kill, he always puts on his mask  so it's "the monster" who kills Kitty and Pluto. This is such a great psychological thing so I understand why some people lament the fact the movie went global in the end instead of remaining contained to the family. There's a lot to unpack in the movie, and mixed kid is such an interesting idea but was explored somewhat on the margin of the story rather than as a firm focus. Like, if you pick up on it, great, if you don't, no big deal. I think that Peele tried too many things in one movie and some of them ended up not exactly overlooked but perhaps needed a concrete explanation (while other that got such explanation needed to stay mysterious and up for interpretation). 

 

Mom was definitely aware that her son was like her which you can see in the car scene where everyone picks up Got 5 On It rhythm right away but Jason, so she shows him and then he picks up too. It's how her father and especially mother didn't give up on her when she returned to them mute, but worked on getting her back (the therapist, ballet, patience, love). It's also important because it shows that tethered can be normal with care which is something Adelaide could have brought into the underworld but didn't. Instead, she was too focused on revenge which dehumanized her (while care humanized Red).  

 

So I read Jason putting his mask back on when he realized that mom was Tethered as accepting his heritage (more kills on the way ... joking!)

 

 

Edited March 24, 2019 by Valonqar

[JohnnyGossamer]

I do think had Peele seen Suspiria first he'd have taken that puppetry further and lifted that scene in which Dakota Johnson dances that girl to death. Cracking her body every which way. Imagine he'd have cut away more and played with the sounds more but it was a huge opportunity missed.

[CoolioD1]

agreed it was a huge missed opportunity that he didn't just do a scene that was already in another movie.

[filmlover]

Don't think it's been mentioned here yet (just stepped into the thread after seeing the movie yesterday) but among the things that stood out for me in this was the little detail that the white family vacation home was so much fancier than the cozy little house that the black family rented out. Interesting and accurate commentary from Peele there.

Edited March 24, 2019 by filmlover

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

1 hour ago, filmlover said:

Don't think it's been mentioned here yet (just stepped into the thread after seeing the movie yesterday) but among the things that stood out for me in this was the little detail that the white family vacation home was so much fancier than the cozy little house that the black family rented out. Interesting and accurate commentary from Peele there.

Wasn't the house in Adelaide's family? It was older, a little cluttered and contained family pictures they wouldn't have brought to a rental. The other family probably did have a rental, if it was an Airbnb or something like that it would lkkely be fancier with the latest technology, the NotAlexa, etc. They did have a bigger boat, knowing Peele there's probably some sort of racial commentary there, as well as another Jaws reference.

 

The boy wears a mask and his name is Jason. Zora (the daughter) is likely for Zora Neale Hurston, whose best known work is Their Eyes Were Watching God. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by BoxOfficeChica

[filmlover]

8 minutes ago, BoxOfficeChica said:

Wasn't the house in Adelaide's family? It was older, a little cluttered and contained family pictures they wouldn't have brought to a rental. The other family probably did have a rental, if it was an Airbnb or something like that it would lkkely be fancier with the latest technology, the NotAlexa, etc. They did have a bigger boat, knowing Peele there's probably some sort of racial commentary there, as well as another Jaws reference.

 

The boy wears a mask and his name is Jason. Zora (the daughter) is likely for Zora Neale Hurston, whose best known work is Their Eyes Were Watching God. 

You're probably right.

 

Lupita was really fantastic in this in both of her roles btw. Thought she was better in this than Kaluuya was in Get Out imo. Wouldn't be against any awards recognition for this if she gets it. 

[JohnnyGossamer]

2 hours ago, CoolioD1 said:

agreed it was a huge missed opportunity that he didn't just do a scene that was already in another movie.

Well, he did... Used the same concept just with much less imagination. Didn't need to be dance of course, could've been anything taking advantage of "puppet master" stuff mentioned. It's not like he didn't borrow liberally from quite a few classics throughout. Not a bad thing, put his own staple on the beats and repackaged them. Most directors do the same.

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

30 minutes ago, filmlover said:

You're probably right.

 

Lupita was really fantastic in this in both of her roles btw. Thought she was better in this than Kaluuya was in Get Out imo. Wouldn't be against any awards recognition for this if she gets it. 

That's usually how it goes, though, what gets nominated in one year gets bypassed in another, and vice versa. Toni Collette got ignored last year for Hereditary, but Us is a much more popular movie, which helps with a performance in a less awards friendly genre. 

 

When the boy swore the first time, it got the biggest collective gasp. The theater where I saw it is on a military base ($5.50 tickets all day, every day!), maybe a crowd big on parental respect. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by BoxOfficeChica

[MOVIEGUY]

Watched it again last night trying to wrap my head around the whole "Jason is tethered" thing. I don't get it? Why him and not his sister? I get him and his mom had an extra close bond, but they both had the same parents so why would he be any different than his sister? Just cause? And if he was special/different, wouldn't Pluto/Other Jason be as well, since he had an "untethered" mom and "tethered" dad?

 

I'm still not entirely sure who was controlling who. There was the line at the end about the people down below controlling the people up above like "puppets" or whatever. But there's that moment where the dad pushes his glasses up his face and his doppleganger does the same. And when he bangs his head on the boat's motor it seems to injure his doppleganger. So maybe since the two of them are sharing a soul like Red says it's more complicated than one's movements controlling the other. 

[filmlover]

9 minutes ago, BoxOfficeChica said:

That's usually how it goes, though, what gets nominated in one year gets bypassed in another, and vice versa. Toni Collette got ignored last year for Hereditary, but Us is a much more popular movie, which helps with a performance in a less awards friendly genre. 

 

When the boy swore the first time, it got the biggest collective gasp. The theater where I saw it is on a military base ($5.50 tickets all day, every day!), maybe a crowd big on parental respect. 

Biggest reaction at mine was when the boy said there was a family in their driveway and everything was about to go down. My entire sold out auditorium became Regina Hall in Scary Movie at that exact moment yelling "OH SHIT!" and the like.

 

Also, Elisabeth Moss' Tethered version trying to make herself pretty by putting on lipstick got a fun reaction reaction. Moss in that scene was reminding me of Allison Williams' iconic "eating dry Froot Loops and slurping milk" moment in Get Out.

[MOVIEGUY]

Speaking of Elisabeth Moss's doppelganger, any thoughts on why she couldn't bring herself to cut Adelaide's face, and instead pulled away and cut her own face? 

 

Also I just want to say Tim Heidecker's doppelganger was one of the highlights for me. His weird, extra-douchey version of his character was great.

[filmlover]

10 minutes ago, MOVIEGUY said:

Speaking of Elisabeth Moss's doppelganger, any thoughts on why she couldn't bring herself to cut Adelaide's face, and instead pulled away and cut her own face? 

 

Also I just want to say Tim Heidecker's doppelganger was one of the highlights for me. His weird, extra-douchey version of his character was great.

Moss said during the scene on the beach that she had work done on her face, so I saw her doppelganger cutting herself as an act of reflecting her insecurity about her looks.

 

Also agreed on Heidecker. The moment before they were killed where she was all "there's someone out there I'm scared please check" and he was like "I'm...busy (resting in my chair)" was also accurate. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by filmlover

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

2 hours ago, filmlover said:

Biggest reaction at mine was when the boy said there was a family in their driveway and everything was about to go down. My entire sold out auditorium became Regina Hall in Scary Movie at that exact moment yelling "OH SHIT!" and the like.

  

Also, Elisabeth Moss' Tethered version trying to make herself pretty by putting on lipstick got a fun reaction reaction. Moss in that scene was reminding me of Allison Williams' iconic "eating dry Froot Loops and slurping milk" moment in Get Out.

That happened, too, the exact same spot, after someone went "Oh shit" there was lots of laughter. Another big reaction was when the dopplegangers showed up in Elisabeth Moss/Tim Heidecker's house, then you realized the doubles were everywhere, people were screaming, it was great. 

 

2 hours ago, MOVIEGUY said:

Watched it again last night trying to wrap my head around the whole "Jason is tethered" thing. I don't get it? Why him and not his sister? I get him and his mom had an extra close bond, but they both had the same parents so why would he be any different than his sister? Just cause? And if he was special/different, wouldn't Pluto/Other Jason be as well, since he had an "untethered" mom and "tethered" dad?

 

I'm still not entirely sure who was controlling who. There was the line at the end about the people down below controlling the people up above like "puppets" or whatever. But there's that moment where the dad pushes his glasses up his face and his doppleganger does the same. And when he bangs his head on the boat's motor it seems to injure his doppleganger. So maybe since the two of them are sharing a soul like Red says it's more complicated than one's movements controlling the other. 

Think of it like lefthandedness, a rare blood type, shyness or any sort of trait that can be inherited from a parent but one sibling gets it and the others don't, happens all the time.

 

I also think there was a nature vs. nurture argument with the Tethered vs. Untehered, Red is the only one of them who talks because she started out above ground, the others could understand her but never got beyond making guttural sounds. Maybe a bit convenient to the story as a clue to her real identity, but the overwhelming majority of them didn't talk, so the environment won out.

 

So the doppleganger kids were half Untethered in a genetic sense but lived a fully Tethered life, plus Red was too bitter to be a nurturing caretaker, which is part of kids developing language, empathy, etc. The dad was always Tethered so they weren't going to get any of that from him, either. Meanwhile Adelaide got the nice life with a caring family in a regular world, so learned to speak and have a heart, friends, love, hobbies, etc.  Who knows, if they were both above ground and not trying to murder their doubles, maybe the Tethered would have been able to develop lives of their own.

Edited March 24, 2019 by BoxOfficeChica

[Eric the Fall Guy]

 

[MOVIEGUY]

They missed one (this was seriously in my head as I was watching it)

 

[MOVIEGUY]

Don't know if this has been discussed but do you think Adelaide was aware the entire time she had switched with her other self? I'm assuming so because she obviously remembers the event and could've not been telling the whole truth when she told Gabe about it. I'm wondering because the ending kind of plays it like a revelation to her, so maybe she repressed it? It felt like another one of those open-ended things. I could be overthinking this lol.

Edited March 24, 2019 by MOVIEGUY

[Alli]

i think she repressed it