By Salam Bustanji
“And to think, if it weren't for you, I never would've danced at all”. Here is a list of things you might have missed in Jordan’s Peele masterpiece Us.
Like his 2017 hit, Get Out, Jordan Peele’s new horror movie, Us, is all fun and games until it’s darkness emerges and starts going beyond just the shocking aspect of your typical horror movie.
Walking out of the movie theatre, I could not help but overhear people complaining about the ambiguity of the movie and its plot. Here is a list of details I observed that might help in comprehending Jordan Peele’s complex movie:
Culture, race and the class system in America:
By now, we know that Us is a metaphor that calls out the class system in America. The Tethered are lower class, the Wilsons are middle class and the Tylers are upper class. In addition to the materialistic comments, there were important references to outward appearance. When Adelaide said, “I don’t feel like myself,” Gabe responded with, “I think you look like yourself.”
After Adelaide killed Red and terrified Jason, she pulled her hair back and said, “Look, it’s me” to show him everything was okay. Adelaide got very upset when Gabe didn’t believe her; but I think it was because that meant he didn’t believe IN her as a person. She screamed “SHE is real!” because she (Adelaide) is real.
I also cringed when Zora said, “So does this mean we get their car?” after the Tylers had been killed. Such a commentary on the materialism of our society. Also when Gabe said, “You can have the boat” when the teathereds had them in the living room – they want bigger things than a boat, GABE!!
The scene with Jason and Adelaide after she takes him from the locker reminds me of the older generation thinking they are protecting the younger generation by keeping immigrants out. She says, “They’re all gone now, they can’t hurt you. Do you understand?” And Jason, confusedly, says, “Nu-uh.” Jason was never physically violent towards his shadow (until he has him walk backwards into the fire to protect his family) – he was a little afraid/wary, but held his hand as they walked into the closet. Fear of the other is passed down – children are not racist or xenophobic until they are taught to be.
At the “Find Yourself” fun house, the park changed the Native American sign to Merlin’s Forest, but a totem pole still remains outside the door. This, to me, is a metaphor for the Native American genocide – you can try to cover it up, but parts still remain and it’s in our history forever. Sloppy coverup job, didn’t even change the inside – again, a commentary on outward appearances being the only thing that matters.
The escalator to the theathered world only went down. There was no up option, so anyone who wanted to get to freedom had to walk against the grain, fighting the escalator’s down mechanism just to get to a level playing field. I also like that the tethered remembered to release the bunnies and didn’t leave them to die in cages as they went to surface level to claim their freedom.
Red saying, “Humans created this place,” was a nod to humans creating our class society. The bunk room looks eerily similar to slave barracks from the ships and farms.
Another interesting element in the movie is the dancing and its significance. To me, I felt that maybe it was an example on how the lower class communities rely upon kids with special talents to help lift the entire community out of poverty.
(Source: Universal Pictures)
In reference to the class system in America, Red said to Adelaide that she had to handle her C-section “all by herself” – that felt like a commentary on the lower class. Abraham taking Gabe’s glasses off so he could finally see properly definitely hit me as another metaphor for class. Before seeing Gabe, Abraham didn’t even know what glasses were. Upper class has so many advantages which they take for granted.
Moreover, Josh’s comments about “I don’t want to get up, I don’t want to look, I’m in my cozy spot” was a huge blinking red metaphor about the upper class ignoring the problems outside of their house because they are currently comfortable. The Tylers were not concerned or aware of the tethered until it was too late, which is another upper class/lower class metaphor. The Tylers (upper class) tethered (and reflections of them) were dumber/more vapid than the quick/cunning untethered of the Wilson’s (middle class). News reports said the tethered were coming from the sewers – another metaphor for how people see the lowest of our society.
Adelaide and Red: The differences and similarities between the real and the tethered:
Red entering the room and taking in the painting above the fireplace felt to me like she was reliving old memories from her grandmother’s house. It was telling when she said to Adelaid, “Don’t burn OUR house down.”
(Source: Universal Pictures)
The guttural screams after Adelaide killed the twin and Red were like reminders that she was originally a tethered person and it’s still inside of her.
Adelaide actually makes some clicking sounds after her victory scream from killing Red. Her tethered side manifests. I also thought it was interesting how Adelaide’s clothes went from white to red as she killed more and more, reverting BACK into one of the tethered, the people she abandoned when she took the real Adelaide’s place. As the tethered were the ones who initiated the killing, the same act of killing others is what brought her back to her previous state.
(Source: Universal Pictures)
At the fair, Adelaide had clear bubble hair ties. At the doctor’s office, imposter Adelaide had one blue and one pink bubble tie.
Kitty’s tethered pretended to cry when her partner died, but then laughed. Probably how Kitty felt about Josh.
Umbrae was born laughing and died laughing
I believe the summer before the movie takes place, the boy and his “tethered” also switched places. For example, he forgot the magic trick. He didn’t actually forget the magic trick, he learned it successfully and burnt half of his face off in the process, though his tethered only has a slight memory of him learning the trick. Also, while at the beach instead of building sand castles he was building tunnels, weird right?
In addition, when both of the boys are in danger, the moms realize this had happened and each of them focus on their child. You can see in her eyes how sad she is when he burns alive. At the end, he has realized that his mother, at one point, has also switched bodies. She gives him a look almost like “I also know what you know,” and then he puts on his mask, as a symbol of the masks they will now wear for the rest of their lives
To wrap up, I believe that Jordan Peele has managed to weave a plot in which beauty and complexity surface to a much darker, much more realistic portrayal of American society in a classic temporary horror film. There is so much more to Us than a first time watcher of Us could fathom, and I cannot wait until the DVD is released to find more details. Let us know if we missed out on anything!
