Us
"The Duality of Us" Featurette
Jordan Peele’s clever and quick mind is legendary within the film community. Though audiences likely assume that this wit shows up only in his comedy projects, the opposite happens to be true. Peele’s vision for Us proves that his quick mind and intelligence works extremely well in the horror genre as well.
Our Us behind-the-scenes footage covers a wide range of subjects surrounding this iconic movie. Perhaps one of the most intriguing topics is that of duality, which is discussed in “The Duality of Us” in Featurettes. In this exclusive look at Us , director Jordan Peele talks about the symbolism and the reasoning for his choices in the film. Many aspects of the movie have hidden meanings, and it is illuminating to learn about them from Peele himself.
One central duality that Jordan Peele discusses in this Us extra is the nature of luck and chance. While many of us believe that our stable lives, good jobs, and thriving families are because we are superior in some way, the reality is that it is simply luck that we were born in a place where we can thrive. He also discusses how our continual freedom and comfort are direct results of chance, and that to maintain those freedoms someone else must sacrifice their own happiness and wellbeing. This duality of luck and sacrifice or lack of choice is one of the main themes in Us, and Peele discusses it at length in this behind-the-scenes featurette.
The doppelganger concept that is present throughout the movie is a central duality theme in the movie as well. Jordan Peele himself says, “I’ve loved the doppelganger mythologies and different movies that have dealt with them, and I just desperately want to make my offering to that pantheon.”
The dual nature of man, one evil and one good side, is something that is explored at length in literature, art, and movies. In mythology, the doppelganger is a bad omen, giving the whole movie an inherently menacing quality throughout. In our Us video, Jordan Peele discusses this concept in depth, which can be illuminating not only for this film, but for other films that explore the same concepts too.
Jordan Peele also discusses the most important duality in the movie, and it comes in the simple form of “us against them.” Throughout this movie, he explored the inherent nature of a “them” every time we create an “us.” As humans, we are tribal and territorial creatures. In creating our tribe, or our “us,” we automatically create a “them.” It is this separation that creates duality, and that begins to create the hierarchies that we see crash down in the film. Because there is a separation between the main characters and their evil counterparts, they see the issue as “us against them.” However, the concept of “us” changes depending on how you are looking at the situation and who you are asking. Each group individually contains the duality of both “us” and “them,” and the movie grapples with that throughout.
Peele goes further to discuss the symbolism of animals, the significance of dance, and other key dualities in the film. Each point helps to add a depth of understanding to the movie that everyone could benefit from. To access this clip, and other exclusive Us content, purchase the movie on 4k Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, DVD, or Digital.*
*Bonus features are only available at select digital retailers. Check the retailer for details.
Like this article? Read more about the making of Us here: