Us movie premieres at SXSW and reviews are in, here’s what to expect

Jordan Peele’s film Us has premiered at SXSW and reviews are quickly coming in. We attended the screening and are here with spoiler-free thoughts and to tease what you can expect.

Austin’s SXSW festival kicked off with the world premiere of Jordan Peel’s Us. Expectations were high, to say the least. Lines of press members and SXSW attendees wrap around the building. Many waited for hours only to be turned down as the theater reached its limit. But those who got in, including yours truly, got to be the first crowd to witness another Peele masterpiece. Needless to say, Us more than delivers.

Let’s get comparisons out of the way. If you ask me, comparing two films, Us and Get Out, in particular, is unfair. They’re both unique and great in their own way and offer something new. Not to mention, Jordan Peele himself has said he didn’t want to repeat the same theme and messages featured in Get Out on Us. Now, you may enjoy one more than the other, but that’s different.

With all that said, the less you know about Us going in, the more you’ll enjoy it. It’s an experience best absorbed going in with little to no knowledge about the center plot. Therefore, what follows are spoiler-free thoughts, but if you truly wish to not know a thing, stop reading now.

More than anything, Get Out is a psychological thriller, but Us turns up the horror and comedy to become more than that. If you want a scare, you’ll definitely get it, but there are plenty of moments that’ll have you laughing. Most of those laughs are provided by Winston Duke, and they’re all at appropriate moments rather than comic relief thoughtlessly thrown into the mixture. There are also fun cultural reference points dating back to 80s to the present.

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The message Us presents to audiences is how your own worst enemy isn’t your next door neighbor or across any border, but is instead staring back at you in the mirror. The home-invasion thriller also installs the idea that we may not always be in control of our own actions by asking audiences if they’ve ever felt as if they were having an out-of-body experience.

From the opening credits, Us drops many hints, references, and pieces of a giant puzzle. It’s impossible to catch them all during your first showing, and I believe this is purposely done. The pace of the movie is nonstop, so you can’t even catch up to your own thoughts, let alone piece together what’s going on behind the scenes. You’ll want to watch Us immediately after.

There are many other surprises and a twist that we won’t even hint at. If you missed the SXSW premiere, watch Us when it opens in theaters on March 22.