There’s no doubt that the arrival of a movie directed by Jordan Peele sparks excitement across the globe. After his first and extremely successful film Get Out was released, people were already discussing his next film.

      During May of last year, Peele released the movie poster for the recent horror film, Us. Then the trailer was released on Christmas Day.  These releases built up the hype and made the release of the movie highly anticipated. The movie’s debut was Friday, March 22nd. It generated $68M on its opening night, breaking records for the movie industry. Theaters were full, and audiences were satisfied.

      Peele’s work forces an audience to think during and after the film, rather than a simple watch and go. It is clear that his films are made to open minds to the reality of society and America as a whole.

      Us started with a flashback into the main character’s childhood, that would later play an important role in the upcoming chain of events. As the film progressed, it was easy to see that Peele’s goal to keep an audience invested, was successful. Unlike other horror and thriller films, it did not constantly remind you that you were watching a film of this genre. Jump scares were present, however, these typical horror techniques weren’t the main focus of the film and did not contribute to the social message of the movie.

     Outside of the acting, small comedic flares and thought-provoking scenes, the film’s score had also influenced the viewers’ reactions. Turning classic rap song “I Got 5 On It” into a dark theme, amused audiences. Other tracks made horror entertaining, with beats and compositions that aren’t typically used to set a dark mood.

     The underlying message and chain of events of the film definitely raised an “Oh, I get it now!” moment for moviegoers. Jordan Peele created a connection between the movie’s universe and our own. It focused on the actions that people take and just how they can affect an entire population.