Jordan Peele’s US creeps its way onto 4K Blu-ray (review)

The below review contains mild spoilers for Us. 

Following the breakout success of Get Out, writer-director-producer Jordan Peele returned to the world of horror with Us, a cerebral genre film that balances its scares with large doses of humour and social commentary. When the film was released this past March, we admired its grand scope and riveting performances, and were eagerly looking forward to a second viewing, which is basically essential due to the film’s puzzle box structure.

Us arrives on 4K Blu-ray with a small but impactful set of special features that help illuminate what Peele was going for with the film. The highlight of the disc is a handful of deleted scenes so good that it’s hard to fathom how they landed on the cutting room floor, given how they flesh out certain characters and in one case even help explain a key plot point. One scene outright explains the mysterious dance performance that ties together Lupita Nyong’o’s Adelaide and Red characters, while another equally riveting (and outright terrifying) cut scene shows the young Zora first meeting the tethered versions of her parents after awakening in the underground realm.

Other special feature highlights include nearly 7 minutes of Gabe (Winston Duke) and Josh (Tim Heidecker) hilariously kibitzing on the beach in a long montage of takes that seem at least partly improvised, along with a handful of short behind-the-scenes featurettes that demonstrate how tricky it was to pull of a feature where every main character portrays two wildly different roles, often in the same scene.

Us is a disturbing and thought-provoking feature from Peele, one that only gets better with repeat viewings. The 4K Blu-ray features a top-notch audio and video presentation, maintaining Mike Gioulakis’ striking cinematography, and keeping composer Michael Abels’ intense score front and centre. While the extras aren’t plentiful, they help fill in the world of Peele’s film, from the deleted scenes that provide some great moments that never made it into the final cut, to interviews with the cast and crew that showcase the challenges of bringing Peele’s unsettling vision to the screen. While a full-length audio commentary from Peele would have been a great addition, he manages to cover a wide range of topics in the short included interviews, from the classic horror films that inspired the film (including Night of the Living Dead and A Nightmare on Elm Street), to the meaning behind the film’s often cryptic imagery and themes.

The full list of special features is below. Us is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and VOD now. Head to our Facebook page for your chance to win a copy!

EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURE ON 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY^TM & DIGITAL:

• Scene Explorations – The making of three iconic scenes from the film including the Tyler house massacre, Jason’s abduction and Adelaide’s underground flashback.
  • Seven Second Massacre
  • It’s a Trap
  • I Just Want My Little Girl Back

BONUS FEATURES on 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY^TM, DVD & DIGITAL:

• The Duality of US – Jordan Peele goes in-depth on some of the key themes and imagery in US – including Doppelgängers, Hands Across America, The Nutcracker dance scene, rabbits and the infamous 11:11 coincidence.
• The Monsters Within US – Examine how the great cast were able to find their characters, whether they were playing one of the Wilsons or their sinister doppelgängers.
• Tethered Together: Making US Twice – Making of a movie is hard. Making a movie where all the main cast play dual roles can be downright mind-bending. In this piece, filmmakers, cast, and crew discuss some of the technical challenges to making the film, as well as some of the design choices for the characters.
• Redefining a Genre: Jordan Peele’s Brand of Horror – In the space of two films, Jordan Peele has set himself apart as an invaluable artistic voice. Hear cast and filmmakers highlight what makes him so unique, as well as Jordan’s own thoughts on his inspirations and the relationship between horror and comedy.
• Becoming Red – Using behind-the-scenes footage from between takes, we take a closer look at Lupita Nyong’o’s intense and mesmerizing performance as “Red.”
• Deleted Scenes
  • I Am Not Even Near You
  • Rabbit Season
  • That’s Badass
  • Driftwood
  • The P is Silent
  • I Wanna Go Home
• We’re All Dying – Hilarious outtakes from the conversation between Winston Duke and Tim Heidecker on the beach.
• As Above, So Below: Grand Pas de Deux – An extended version of the dance sequence from the film, cutting between adolescent Adelaide at her recital to Red in the Underpass.