Jordan Peele Teases ‘Us’ Is More Straightforward Horror Than ‘Get Out’

Jordan Peele’s Get Out is undeniably a horror film, though the narrative’s blend of humor and exploration of real-life societal fears sparked countless discussions about whether it should be classified as a genre film. Writer/director Peele recently confirmed that his next film, Us, fits far more in line with a traditional horror movie than what audiences might be expecting.

“I’m such a horror nut that the genre confusion of Get Out broke my heart a little. I set out to make a horror movie, and it’s kind of not a horror movie,” Peele revealed to Rolling Stone about his films earning labels from audiences. “As a horror fan, I really wanted to contribute something to that world.”

The outlet then goes on to describe the film as follows: “Us, his new movie, is that contribution, unambiguously so. Get Out is existentially terrifying; Us is spill-your-soda scary. It’s the tale of a family facing off with unsettling doppelgängers of themselves, which Peele calls the Tethered — he means them to be a ‘monster mythology,’ in keeping with Universal’s Frankenstein/Dracula/Wolfman tradition. He’s taking some mischievous pleasure at the prospect of freaking out some of Get Out‘s more genteel fans.”

In the new film, a mother (Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong’o from Black Panther, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and 12 Years a Slave) and a father (Winston Duke from Black Panther) take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends (including Emmy winner Elizabeth Moss from TV series The Handmaid’s Tale). But as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited.

These new comments might confirm that Us is a more straightforward horror film, but there are still elements in it that will appeal to fans of his previous work.

“One thing I know is that this is genre; and playing around with the thriller, horror, action, fun genre of intrigue is my favorite,” Peele previously shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s my sweet spot. So I think tonally it should resemble Get Out. That said, I want to make a completely different movie. I want to address something different than race in the next one.”

Fans of the filmmaker have a lot to be excited for, with this year also seeing the debut of his reimagining of The Twilight Zone, coming to CBS All Access later this year. A little bit further over the horizon is a reboot of Candyman, which Nia DaCosta will direct from a script written by Peele and Win Rosenfeld. The new Candyman is slated to hit theaters on June 12, 2020.

Check out Us when it lands in theaters on March 22nd.

Are you excited to see Peele’s more direct take on the horror genre? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!