Oscar- and Emmy awards-winning director, writer, producer, and comedian Jordan Peele loves creating films that send shivers down your spine. Previously, PVP Live talked about the unsettling ending of one of his movies, “Nope.” This time, we’ll peel the ending of another of his movies, “Us,” a chilling film you must see.
What ‘Us’ Is All About
Released in 2019, “Us” is also a horror film like ‘Nope,” but compared with it, this is a psychological horror movie.
The members of the stellar cast include Academy Award-winning “12 Years a Slave” actress Lupita Nyong’o, “Avengers: Endgame” actor Winston Duke, Disney live-action “The Lion King” voice actress Shahadi Wright Joseph, actor and producer Elisabeth Moss, and “Bridesmaids” actor Tim Heidecker.
The story of “Us” follows Adelaide Wilson, portrayed by Nyong’o, and her family, who find themselves attacked by the Tethered, not technological entities, but a group of menacing doppelgängers.
Richard Brody of The New York Times wrote, “‘Us’ highlights the unwitting complicity of even apparently well-meaning and conscientious people in an unjust order that masquerades as natural and immutable but is, in fact, the product of malevolent designs that leave some languishing in the perma-shadows. It dramatizes this world, but with a twist…”
Meanwhile, the Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus rates “Us” certified Fresh! at 93 percent, which is already high, considering the website’s strict standards.
“With Jordan Peele’s second inventive, ambitious horror film, we have seen how to beat the sophomore jinx, and it is ‘Us,’” Rotten Tomatoes stated.
What Happened At The Ending Of ‘Us’?
The ending scenes of “Us” start with Wilson chasing the Tethered character Red into the same funhouse from her childhood years. But this time, she stumbles upon an entrance taking her to the basement overrun by a group of rabbits. She spots Red inside a classroom, and the Tethered character finally reveals and explains to Wilson and to the audience who the Tethered are and where they come from.
Red speaks with Wilson, saying that the Tethered are created by “them,” which, in the story, refers to the government as an experiment subject. However, that experiment was abandoned, leaving thousands of Tethered below ground behind.
To recap, the Tethered share a soul with their above-ground counterpart, such as Red for Wilson. So, all things they do, so did the Tethered. If there are differences, they would be sad.
You saw the above-ground people riding roller coasters with the Tethered below-ground, oddly, also enjoying roller coasters. However, they just simulate the movement, and there are no real roller coasters in the world of the Tethered.
Viewers also saw Wilson’s recital as a child in an auditorium, just as how Red did the same thing in the dimly lit, cold-looking halls of the world below.
Note that these creatures have no free will. They just live the same lives as their real human counterparts without actually experiencing what the humans are doing. This is something from Peele’s creative genius, which is fun to watch.
Then, lo and behold, Wilson saw her Tethered, her doppelgänger, in the funhouse. Viewers can attest that the doppelgänger is Red. Yet, this was a big reveal that is mind-blowing.
After the two see each other in the funhouse, the version the main character saw in the mirror suddenly reaches out – like the Queen’s magic mirror image in “Snow White” reaching out to her – and strangles Wilson until she passes out. The mirror-Wilson then proceeds to drag her twin down toward the basement, where she gets chained, and her clothes swapped before walking back upstairs, leaving the original Wilson behind and taking over her life. Creepy? Creepy. Disturbing? Of course.
The Ending Explained
The ending of Peele’s “Us” is nothing short of disturbing, yet it still manages to be thought-provoking without overwhelming the viewer with fear. It has a narrative but still manages to digest and critique that narrative — a narrative critiquing its own. You get the picture.
The film challenges your beliefs about identity, social inequality, and human nature. Instead of solely focusing on what happened in the climax, it’s crucial that you also take a look at the underlying themes and messages that the film leaves upon its audience.
Throughout “Us,” the director and writer used the doppelgängers to suggest concepts of duality and society’s overlooked, marginalized elements. These Tethered beings represent a darker reflection of the privileged, forced to live in the shadows while the humans on the surface enjoy life as it is. This mirror image raises unsettling questions about how humans treat the unseen parts of society, taking them for granted, thus giving rise to consequences.
The revelation at the end, wherein Wilson realizes she had been switched with her Tethered counterpart, then Red, as a child, forces viewers to reconsider their parameters about good and evil. They then sympathize and empathize with the main character while seeing the doppelgängers as monstrous invaders, which they really are.
However, there’s a twist in the ending that complicates this. Red, who you would initially think a villain, was, get this, the original “real” Wilson, and the Wilson you knew she was is actually the Tethered who took her life. You can re-watch the film to see this important scene. It is disturbing and revolutionary in itself. No further explanation is needed.
Peele Being A Star In The Movie, Viewers Being Part Of The Story
Peele also became a star in the movie, despite indirect, as the ending manages to showcase his critique of privilege. The rebellion of the Tethered underscores the results of systemic neglect and injustice, with Wilson’s story being personal yet mirroring broader social dynamics. By letting her live as somebody else, “Us” highlighted how privilege is often the result of luck or opportunity, never inherent virtue or effort.
Overall, the ending of “Us” is a commentary and critique on how fragile identities can be, as well as the ways society defines and confines human beings. It questions the characters’ motivations and the viewers’ perceptions of justice, inequality, and humanity. Eerie as it may sound, you, the viewer, are part of the story.
You can re-watch and stream “Us” on Apple TV and Google Play Movies.
