Movies Coming Out This Week: Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’
Jordan Peele’s sophomore feature film was originally scheduled for a theatrical release last week, but was pushed back following the announcement of its South by Southwest premiere. Now with plenty of positive reception behind it, Us will get its wide release this weekend.
Us
After the huge success of Get Out, it made sense that Jordan Peele would reteam with Jason Blum and Sean McKittrick for his sophomore outing. Since Peele’s background was rooted in comedy, I don’t think anyone expected him to deliver one of the most important and memorable horror films of the past few years. And even if Get Out had some comedic elements to it, Us seems to be more more of a pure horror film. IGN has called the film a “marvelous new American horror story” while Rolling Stone has described it “spill-your-soda scary.” With Us currently sitting at a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 55 reviews, I think it’s pretty safe to say that director Jordan Peele has avoided the sophomore slump.
Us had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 8th, where it received universal acclaim for its screenplay, direction, acting, musical score and cinematography. The film stars Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, and Tim Heidecker.
Synopsis:
Accompanied by her family, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide’s worst fears soon come true when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. Things become even more terrifying when each stranger takes their mask off, appearing to be of a different member of Adelaide’s own family.
Limited Theatrical Releases/Streaming Releases
Dragged Across Concrete
A neo-noir crime thriller written and directed by S. Craig Zahler, the filmmaker behind Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99. Starring Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn, the story is about a pair of police officers who resort to their criminal connections in order make some money after being suspended from the police force for being too violent.
Triple Threat
A martial arts film starring Tony Jaa of Ong Bak fame and Iko Uwais from The Raid films. The movie follows a small band of down-and-out mercenaries fighting to protect the daughter of a Chinese billionaire from an elite crime syndicate.
Hotel Mumbai
A thriller based on the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai, which chronicles the 2008 attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India. Directed by Anthony Maras, the film stars Dev Patel and Armie Hammer.
Out of Blue
An unconventional murder-mystery that also delves into nature of the universe itself. Starring Patricia Clarkson, Jacki Weaver, and Toby Jones, the movie follows a detective trying to solve the murder of a renowned astrophysicist. The more she learns about quantum mechanics and parallel universes while trying to solve this crime, the more she doubts her own understanding of reality.
Relaxer
A drama written and directed by Joel Potrykus. Set in 1999, it tells the story of a man who doesn’t leave his living room couch until he beats the 256th level in Pac-Man. The film currently holds an 77% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 reviews.
Which movies are you looking forward to? Do you think Us will be just as good as, if not better than, Get Out? And can it dethrone Captain Marvel at the box office? Let us know in the comments section.
