Us – Blu-ray Movie Review

A family vacation turns deadly when the Wilsons are terrorized by exact duplicates of themselves.

Synopsis

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The Wilsons arrive at their summer vacation spot ready to enjoy a summer of beachgoing and fishing. The holiday turns deadly when a family of doppelgängers invade their home. After much bloodshed, they manage to escape only to find the same thing happening everywhere. Wife Adelaide pursues her double after her son is kidnapped and finds an underground facility where things start to become clear and the grand plan is revealed.

Specifications

Universal Studios
2019, Color, Rated R, 1 Hr 56 mins
Dolby Atmos, TrueHD 7.1, 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss
Directed by: Jordan Peele

Rating

Entertainment:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Violence: Yes
Sex: No
Language: Yes

Commentary

Jordan Peele really knows how to scare an audience. I found this film gripping almost from the get-go. I say almost because the first 25 minutes, where the family is introduced, is pretty boring. Once the plot got going, I wished that time had been better spent on the action which is harkens back to several classic horror movies. The violence is certainly deserving of its R rating bit I didn’t find it too brutal. Overall, it seemed like a good marriage of a slasher flick and an M. Night Shyamalan film (one of the good ones that is). The plot takes several satisfying twists and turns and the end, which wasn’t a total surprise, is well-conceived. There are several tongue-in-cheek moments too which provide good balance. I’m adding this one to my library as I expect to watch it again.

Technical

The image is presented with a warm color palette and excellent contrast. Black levels are especially deep and well-detailed. The picture is always sharp with great texture and lighting.

Audio covers a huge dynamic range where quiet scenes keep the viewer engaged and loud action gets the heart pounding. The music is provided by a large string section and has a Hitchcock feel, which is a good thing.

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Extras

Bonus features total nearly an hour and cover many aspects of production and creation. There are deleted scenes and interviews with the cast and crew along with several bits with Jordan Peele talking about his concepts and the creative process.

Chris Eberle

Chris' passion for audio began when he took up playing the bassoon at age 12. During his third year at the New England Conservatory of Music, he won a position with the West Point Band where he served for 26 years as principal bassoonist. He retired from the Army in 2013 and is now writing full time and performing as a freelance musician in Central Florida. As an avid movie lover, Chris was unable to turn away the 50-inch Samsung DLP TV that arrived at his door one day, thus launching him irrevocably into an obsession with home theater. Dissatisfied with the image quality of his new acquisition, Chris trained with the Imaging Science Foundation in 2006 and became a professional display calibrator. His ultimate theater desires were realized when he completed construction of a dedicated cinema/listening room in his home. Chris is extremely fortunate that his need for quality audio and video is shared and supported by his wife of over 25 years. In his spare time he enjoys riding his recumbent trike at least 100 miles per week, trying out new restaurants, going to theme parks and spending as much time as possible watching movies and listening to music. Chris enjoys bringing his observations and discoveries about every kind of home theater product to as many curious and well-informed readers as possible. He is proud to be a part of the Team and hopes to help everyone enjoy their AV experiences to the fullest.