Us (2019)

Jordan Peele built a terrific nightmare and then wrote it a user manual. The first hour of Us is about as scary as modern horror gets: a family of four standing silently in the driveway, holding hands, dressed in red, looking exactly like the family inside. Once the movie heads underground to explain where the doubles came from, the logic springs leaks faster than you can patch them, and the rabbits feel like a riddle with no answer. It mostly survives that. Lupita Nyong’o plays two women, and her double talks in a scraped, rusty whisper you’ll hear in your sleep. Winston Duke is the comic relief as a dad way too proud of a boat that barely starts. Elisabeth Moss turns putting on lipstick into one of the creepiest moments in the movie. It made $256.1 million worldwide on a reported $20M. A 7.7 because the scares and performances are huge, even when the explanation isn’t. $1,918 says you spot a family in matching outfits this summer and quietly walk the other way.

What works: Lupita Nyong’o’s double performance is staggering, and the first hour builds dread out of nothing more than people standing still.

What doesn’t: The underground explanation raises more questions than it answers, and the rules fall apart the moment you think about them.

Who it’s for: Horror fans who like a puzzle to argue about on the drive home, and anyone who already distrusts mirrors.