Starts off strong, effectively building tension through striking cinematography and sharp editing/pacing, but once the table has been properly set, it's a gradual nosedive to the perplexing finale. The acting is undeniably committed and the child actors are pitch-perfect, but the exaggerated, go-for-broke lead performances teeter into overkill and would have been more effective if reined in a bit. Also, the frequent attempts at humor, though sometimes successful, completely undercut the unnerving tone. It felt like Peele wasn't confident in his skill as a horror filmmaker, which is bizarre considering the success (and excellent tonal balance) of Get Out, which never leaned too heavily into comedy.

My biggest problem with Us, aside from the utterly incoherent, exposition-heavy third act, is that there's a seemingly intentional lack of thematic relevance. Even though the performances offer enough to connect to emotionally, the concept (which becomes less terrifying and more absurd as the narrative unfolds) makes no effort to engage with our world. Early on, when the intruders offer a one-word answer for who they are (which I won't spoil, as trivial as it is), I was left wondering what I'm meant to infer, or how it ties in thematically. And honestly, I'm even less certain now. I wasn't expecting another Get Out, which was very upfront about its message, but I would have preferred some thematic exploration or introspection. But when the third act rolls around, I'm eating my words, because the vague symbolism and thematic significance I felt was initially too ambiguous gets bludgeoned senseless by an absurd exposition dump. Instead of thematic complexity, we get a convoluted explanation, and any really interesting opportunities for theories about the film's meaning completely vanish.

The comparisons to The Twilight Zone are inevitable considering Peele's involvement in the upcoming revival, but the high concept also feels indebted to the series. And while a tighter edit of Us would have made for a solid entry in an anthology series, as a feature, it feels padded and ultimately squanders its potential by with a spectacularly dumb third act that renders the film narratively and thematically incoherent.