JORDAN PEELE GIVES “US” A TRUE MYSTERY

Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, she grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen – the main thrust of “Us,” the horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele.

Adelaide’s worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. When the masks come off, the family is horrified to learn that each attacker takes the appearance of one of them.

You may know Peele as the funny man on his show, “Key & Peele,” that he co-wrote with his friend, Keegan-Micheal Key. That show is a skit-based comedy shot in the perspective of a real movie, as the viewer jumps right into the main plot lines.

This new movie starts with the main character as a child, and shows the viewer the traumatic event that determines the movie’s plot. The two-hour film builds, to a point where I’m thinking that it’s gonna rock – then quickly topples, like a messy game of jenga. It hits a “PLOT-hole, doing 80 in a 20,” figuratively.

The viewer hits a wall and suddenly out of nowhere holes began to form and the film’s twist (as good as the twist was) makes sense no longer, due to questions that lead him/her to tilt their head and go, “Uhhhhhh.”

Peele is an amazing comedian/writer, but it seems he has some considerable work to do to succeed as a producer. He excels in beginnings, and middles, but his last two films have showed that his endings fall short.

The verdict: The first half of the movie is great! But the ending gives this film 3 ½ Stars. This should be a great rental on Redbox, but I wouldn’t spend the money to see it in theaters.