A Few Thoughts on the Social Commentary Present in ‘Us’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

​There are a great many reasons for people to love the horror genre as a whole. After all, movies that come from this twisted universe, toy with our emotions, our fears, and our nightmares since they bring the worst parts of our imagination to life in an environment that provides safety since we are able to leave the theater or change the channel without ever experiencing an ounce of harm. But for me personally, my love of the genre is related to the fact that horror can be one of the most intelligent genres out there, thanks to its ability to examine our world and our culture through social commentary, leaving us with something to ponder upon long after the blood has stopped flowing on screen.
 
However, for the most part, this all-important staple of the genre has sadly been fading from mainstream horror films, replaced instead by simpler scares and big budget remakes of true classics. But there is one director out there, who still believes that the horror film needs to do its part and offer up something to say about our society in addition to leaving us terrified and uncomfortable, and that man is Jordan Peele. Who, after a magnificent career in comedy has taken the horror world by storm by way of the ever brilliant Get Out, his own iteration of The Twilight Zone and of course, his latest release, Us, a film that quite frankly deserves the attention it is currently receiving because of how many brilliant themes and concepts are present within its framework.
 
In fact, I think it is safe to call Us an outright masterpiece, simply due to the fact that it has so much to say about our world and I’d like to take a few moments and discuss some of the commentary that I personally uncovered while watching this motion picture, such as the fact that it speaks volumes to the ever growing class divide currently present in the United States of America. For the Tethered in this film, are not some evil force from beyond, brought to wreak havoc upon the world, they are human clones, who are no longer satisfied with living in the shadows, they want what their counterparts have and will do what they must to take it and this particular slice of commentary is perhaps the most obvious one since you in essence have two classes of people here, the haves and the have nots, just as it is in the real world, and this impromptu revolution gives the Tethered their shot at the good life and it is just fascinating to see Peele tackle something such as this because quite frankly, it’s not being discussed all that much. 

---

​Yet Peele has plenty more to say about our modern world in this film, and in many ways, the Tethered serve as a socio-political allegory in this tale since they more or less represent those Rust-Belt and Midwestern Americans who felt as though their country and fellow citizens left them behind and forgot about them. Prompting them to unify and stand for their beliefs in Christianity and everything else they hold dear, as evidenced by Red’s firm belief in faith and God and how that guided her and inspired her to help her people unify and send a message, and the resurrection of Hands Across America, and even the color of the Tethered’s ‘uniforms’ speak volumes to every frustration that helped the Red Wave win back Washington in 2016 and what I found fascinating about this particular piece of commentary, is that didn’t look down upon anyone who voted along those lines in ’16, it instead reminded us that they are in fact still human beings and our fellow Americans.
 
Granted, that particular element is now up for debate, but that’s not something we are going to get into here. Instead, I want to talk about the fact that introducing that concept into the story, allows for Peele to examine something far more concerning in modern America in that, there is no longer room for compromise or discussion anymore. The Tethered are locked into one mission and one path when they emerge from the underground, and their silence, resolve and desire for outright violence speaks volumes to party lines and party dedication and the unrelenting rhetoric we see on television and social media and perhaps that’s the best part of this motion picture in that, it doesn’t condemn, condone or mock anything it has presented, nor does it offer up some kind of easy answer or direction on where we go next. Instead, the movie provides the audience with a snapshot of our current world, in essence reminding everyone that this is…us.
 
If anything, all of these elements, and the scares present here as well, make Us one of the finest horror films I’ve seen in years. Because its ultra-intelligent commentary adds incredible depth to this film, and in all honesty, I fear as though we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to the commentary present here, which speaks volumes to Jordan Peele’s abilities as a writer/director and quite frankly, it’s inherently clear that he is becoming the 21st Century equivalent of George A. Romero since his mastery of the medium is breathtaking to say the least. And if Get Out served as Jordan’s Night of the Living Dead, then it is easy to declare Us as his Dawn of the Dead since it is truly a sweeping and powerful horror film, one that infects your mind and stays with you for days long after it has come to an end, and this is one that will be fawned over and dissected for years to come, thanks to everything it has to offer. 

---