***POTENTIAL SPOILERS. DON'T BE STUPID***
3. Animal Imagery
Rabbits are referenced many times throughout both literally and as a design element. The only other animal displayed is an red outlined fox we see as Jason heads towards the first stranger on the beach. Red is clearly an …red flag but it seems to also represent the doubles metaphorically as well. They’re clearly cunning, patient, and very much a predator. There are also a few scenes where the double of Zora has her eyes painted very much like a fox.
4. Young Adelaide
There are a few sequences in which we see a very young girl with a “Thriller” t-shirt, seemingly on the same beach as our main family. In reviewing the little amount of information available, I actually believe it’s a younger version of the female lead Adelaide. It would make a lot of sense as a flashback with the “Thriller” t-shirt and the fact that the young girl is never featured with the family or any other characters.
5. The Portrait
This was probably the most obscure connection but something about it seemed to stand out. This is the first time the family is confronted by their doubles. If you raise the lightness you can see the center portrait is of a lone black woman but surrounded by what look almost like 3 shadow people. Is this suggesting a form of mental illness in Adelaide? Is it all in her head? Keep in mind also that he has described the film as a “monster” movie, so who is the monster?
“Us”, even before the jaw-dropping trailer, is one of the most anticipated genre films for 2019. It seems that Jordan Peele definitely won’t experience a sophomore slump, if anything he seems to be getting even more adept in unsettling intelligent social horror that resonates with all audiences.
