When a filmmaker comes out of the gate with a film that’s universally loved by audiences, lauded by critics and is financially successful as ‘Get Out’ was in 2017, it’s rare to see a director follow it up with something comparable.
Jordan Peele, the writer, projector and director of ‘Us,’ did just that with the release of his last film.
The film shattered the previous open weekend box office records, making an astounding $70 million. At the time of writing, the film has already made $90 million domestically.
Coming from a comedy background, Peele shocked many with how innovative, creative and horrifying his debut film was. Naturally, many had questions about how good of a job a sketch comedian turned first-time director would be.
‘Get Out’ silenced those critics and earned the love of fans and critics alike, winning an Academy Award for best original screenplay and nominations for both Best Picture and Best Director.
After his sophomore effort has been even more successful than his debut film, it’s now undeniable that Peele is not only a horror auteur but a director making films with a level of representation Hollywood has never seen before.
Peele told Variety in a recent interview, “‘Get Out’ is the beginning of a movement of representation in the genre of social relevance in fun movies — of elegant, artistic movies that also can have great box office potential,” Peele said. “It’s the same in television. I think people recognize that if you’re going to make something in this subgenre, we’re the experts.”
After the success of ‘Get Out,’ Peele created his LA-based production company Monkeypaw Productions, which he’s used to start work on upcoming projects like CBS’s ‘Twilight Zone’ reboot, a first-look deal with Amazon Studios and an upcoming animated series.
Peele’s films are so great not only for their exceptional direction, horrifying subject matter, and poignant socio-political messages but for how his films are unafraid to feature people of color in leading roles.
British actor Daniel Kaluuya was the leading man in ‘Get Out,’ earning a Best Actor nod at the Academy Awards, an NAACP Award and a National Society of Film Critics award for best actor.
The wide majority of the ‘Us’ cast are black as well, with the four main characters played by Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex all playing dual roles.
With ‘Us,’ Peele did something not many horror directors have. He cast people of color as the leads without putting emphasis on the color of their skin. The characters in this movie could have been any race and it would not have impacted the story that all.
That’s something we don’t see often in Hollywood regardless of genre and it’s a major step towards proper representation on screen.
After all, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that innovative, celebrated films like ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Sorry To Bother You’ with majority black casts created black creatives like Ryan Coogler and Boots Riley have been applauded by audiences and critics alike.
Peele is positioning himself as a leading force in both the horror genre and an innovative force for black excellence on the big screen.