"Us" deserves attention, as writer/director Jordan Peele's follow-up to the extraordinary horror comedy "Get Out." "Us" begins with a flashback to a childhood trauma in an amusement park. We jump to modern day, to the family vacation of Lupita Nyong'o and her husband Winston Duke and their two children. One night at their Santa Cruz beach house, Lupita looks outside to find an identical family of four staring at them. I don't want to tell you much more beyond that. I will tell you, that Jordan Peele has a great sense of storytelling. The introduction of the menacing family takes us to a second, unexpected level and a conclusion with a heart pounding twist. "Us" works as a better-than-usual horror flick. It echoes "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "Night of the Living Dead" and a little bit of "Vertigo." Whatever, things aren't as they seem in this smashing, entertaining thriller. Those who wish, can find a deeper, troubling message for our unequal society. "Us," 3½ stars, rated "R." Does it deliver what it promises? Heart-pounding horror film with a deeper message. Is it entertaining? If you like to jump. Is it worth the price of admission? One of the year's most important and entertaining movies.
