Movie Review by Brian Stidham

Prior to the success of GET OUT in 2017, I would have never thought of Jordan Peele, primarily know for his goofy antics on the KEY & PEELE SHOW, as a horror director. Peele has proven that he has a knack for making films that can get under the skin and give viewers the creeps. His most recent movie, US, shows that Peele is growing in his ambition as a horror director by branching out into even weirder territory than GET OUT and embracing a darker side than anyone that has ever watched the KEY & PEELE would imagine he was capable of.

The movie centers around the Wilson family, set to spend a vacation at a beach house near Santa Cruz. Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) is uneasy about the trip due to a bizarre incident she suffered in a funhouse in Santa Cruz when she was a child, leaving her full of anxiety. Her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) tries to assure her everything is going to be fine. Later that evening the family is terrorized by a family of violent duplicates of themselves, dressed in red and intent on killing the Wilsons. The family has to fight for their lives against their dopplegangers and try to uncover the reason behind their murderous attack.

US is bit of a hybrid of horror tropes. On one hand, it is a slasher flick. The disturbing dopplegangers stalk the Wilsons with the ruthlessness of a Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers. Yet, there is a layer of psychological horror to the film as well. The duplicates, that call themselves The Tethered, are exact opposites of their counterparts but they are still that person. They mimic their thoughts, and in some cases, even their actions. It’s the darkest portion of a person’s mind set loose to physically assault them. The thought of the darker side of a person’s nature being given a life of it’s own is terrifying.

Admittedly, it does take a little while for the movie to really get going. There is a decent amount of set up involved, which does make the beginning kind of drag a bit but it does a great job of setting up the tension and emotional drama that follows. Once the Tethered appear, the pace picks up like a roller coaster.

The movie isn’t ultra gory but it does have it’s moments of bloody fun. Considering the Tethered’s weapon of choice is a pair of super sharp scissors, there’s going to be a little blood involved. And yes, they do run with them! It’s pure madness.

There is a also a dose of dark humor on the side to break up the horror. I think Jordan Peele does a good job of balancing the fun with the frightening. My main hesitation about Peele being a horror director was the fear his movies might be too full of jokes, which in my opinion tends to water down a horror movie if used too much. But Peele seems to know how to blend the chuckles with the terror just right.

The acting really stands out. Nyong’o especially is terrific. She is outstanding at both verbalizing her whirlwind of emotions as Adelaide and using her body language to create unnerving menace as her Tethered duplicate Red. The only place where things are a little uneven are the child actors. At times, they kill it but in other parts they seem a little wooden and stiff as themselves. However, the both give spot on performances as their Tethered counterparts.

My one beef with US is something I usually don’t complain about, which is not knowing enough. Typically I’m not a fan of being led by the nose and told every aspect of a movie. I like to experience it rather than being narrated to. Sometimes it’s the mystery of the monster or ghost or whatnot that makes it scarier. It’s the fear of the unknown. Yet, with US, the Tethered are given an interesting story but there are so many mysteries left unanswered that they almost fall into the category of Plot Hole. What is their REAL purpose? We are told that we made them but the details are vague so the viewer is left guessing.

The movie does have a little of a political and social undertone but it is subtle. Some people may not like that in their horror movies. The Tethered seem to represent the “have not” society. Those people that are forced to live in the shadows, forgotten and mistreated. Their rebellion against their counterparts in a way reflects the anger some feel toward those that have all of the nice things in life and want to destroy those that are deemed better than them. In a way, I see it as US reflecting true life horror.

I can’t say US is a masterpiece. It has it’s weaknesses and there is a interesting twist at the end that viewers will either love or hate. But for the most part it’s a strong addition to the horror genre. Some might walk away shaking their heads from the oddly ambiguous ending. Others might find a greater meaning in it that I missed. Either way it is a good way to kill two hours.

Movie Review By Brian Stidham

I’ve recently been revisiting a few of my favorite horror movies of the past. Love them or loathe them, I’ve always felt drawn to John Carpenter’s movies. IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS is one of my favorite John Carpenter classics. I felt like the movie was underappreciated and that it deserved a review to share it’s mind bending glory with everyone.

First off, IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS boasts a great lead in Sam Neill. Neill is a tremendous actor who has appeared in numerous projects but is probably best known as Dr. Alan Grant in the JURASSIC PARK movies though he has had other forays into horror such as the OMEN III: THE FINAL CONFLICT and the scifi/horror flick EVENT HORIZON. Neill truly sells his character as first a smarmy investigator then a horrified participant in a nightmare of insanity.

The movie tells the tale of John Trent (Neill), a prickish insurance fraud investigator that is called in by Arcane Publishing to investigate the disappearance of their prize horror author Sutter Cane (Jurgen Prochnow). If he can’t find Cane, they want Cane’s draft of his final book. Just prior to this meeting Trent is almost killed by an ax wielding maniac asking him about Cane. Thinking the disappearance is some form of publicity hoax, he takes the case and starts an investigation that leads him to a town that isn’t supposed to exist. There he faces the truth about Cane’s writings and learns he’s trapped in a horror story that he can’t stopping living in.

The movie is heavily influenced by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. Elements of his stories such as the fear of insanity and eldritch horrors lurking at the threshold of our world waiting to devour us, are scattered throughout the the movie. Some of quotes frm Cane’s books are actually quotes frm Lovecraft’s writings. There is also that raw old world mysticism that seems to seep through in stories set in New England, a place where ghost stories seem to have planted their first primal roots in America.

What really seems to make the film work on an unnerving level is that there is this wild metafictional theme about what makes up reality. The characters debate a few times about what constitutes sanity versus insanity and what would happen if those notions reversed themselves. This gives the supernatural horrors that appear afterward such a freakish tone. Is Trent insane or are these things he’s experiencing truly happening?

Although the film really hasn’t aged that well in the era of highly evolved special effects, the practical effects are a huge part of the appeal of this movie. The monsters have a presence that feels far more grounded than fancy CGI. There is one transformation effect that did come across fairly hokey that doesn’t quite capture the full horror of what it’s supposed to convey but it’s still kind of disturbing . Plus, there are creepy children involved. Those are always good.

The movie may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It is surprisingly light on gore. It is a little cerebral, with all of it’s talk about reality versus fiction and the blurred lines in-between, and it does build a pretty bleak story about the end of the world. However, even though it could have done so much more with it’s great premise, the movie does a commendable job of bringing a different type of horror story to the screen.

Although the movie didn’t do so well at the box office, it has gone on to acquire a respectable cult status. I believe it is one of John Carpenter’s overlooked gems and one of the best homages to Lovecraft’s mythos. Definitely not as good as THE THING or HALLOWEEN but stands right up there with PRINCE OF DARKNESS.

If nothing else, you’ll remember the phrase “DO YOU READ SUTTER CANE?”

You can find IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS for rent on Vudu and Amazon.