Us: First images tether Jordan Peele’s plot together

Us, Jordan Peele’s follow up to 2017’s Oscar winning Get Out, is set to open this March. Last week we got our first teaser poster from the upcoming Blumhouse production. This week we got to see the first images from the movie. Let’s discuss.

In its end of the year first-look extravaganza, Entertainment Weekly released the first images of Us. Written and directed by Peele, the movie follows the Wilson family. Parents Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) and Gabe (Winston Duke) take their daughter (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and son (Evan Alex) on a weekend getaway.

They’re joined by the Tyler family, played by Elizabeth Moss (The Hanmaid’s Tale) and Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric’s Big Movie). Per the the same Entertainment Weekly article, Adelaide is troubled by foreboding visions from her past that harm will come to her family. That fear is stoked by mysterious figures, known as The Tethered, who show up on the Wilson’s driveway.

Sheesh. Seems like we actually know a decent amount about Us. The pictures do give us more to go on than the surprise teaser poster did. Hopefully everyone takes my lead and refers to the scissors in the poster as shears. Give them the respect they deserve.

Basic Instinct

The first pic shown on the website is of Nyong’o’s Adelaide. Her blood stained, corded t-shirt has some tears in it. She’s down a couple of flights of stairs that we can see behind her in the left of the picture. Adelaide is sweaty and scared, but looks ready to attack. She’s clutching a Catherine Trammel grade ice-pick.

Us – Lupita Nyong’o (2) – Courtesy of Claudette Barius-Universal – Entertainment Weekly

This could be at any point in the movie. It could even be in Adelaide’s visions of her family being harmed. It appears that she’ll at least have the agency to fight for herself and her family, which is something that wasn’t readily afforded to Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) in Get Out.

Culting in Comfort

So, the second pic is interesting. From the teaser poster, we know that someone is dressed all in royal red attire, wearing murder gloves, and clutching shears. The Entertainment Weekly article gives us the heads up to mysterious figures that show up known as The Tethered. And the pic we see is of the Wilson family while they hold hands.

They’re wearing royal red tunics, or, way more likely, pajamas. The family is tethered together by holding each other’s hands. And the Evan Alex son character is wearing bandages over his face. Everyone’s eyes appear closed besides Adelaide’s, who seems to be communicating with someone or something. I have theories.

Us- Cult – Courtesy of Claudette Bartus – Universal – Entertainment Weekly

First, this could be Adelaide’s vision. Before we meet The Tethered, her own likeness and family appear to her in the same way in order to warn her of what is coming for the family. This would definitely scare her.

I mean, the family is backlit by the moon with creepy tree shadows. Plus, her youngest child appears injured. Yikes.

Second, this could be the Wilsons in combat with The Tethered. They’ve found clothes that are common. Their eyes are closed in attempt to focus on the same thought or emotion. Adelaide is politely telling The Tethered to, and I’m guessing here, ‘Get away from my family or I will end you.’

Third, the Wilsons could actually be The Tethered. This is least likely because it would be kind of dumb to give away the movie in the first released images from it.

Or, this could be a stroke of genius. Yeah. It would be dumb. Like, super dumb.

Hmmm. Maybe we don’t know as much about Us as I thought. But, that’s cool. There’s a trailer coming out on Christmas Day. I’ll watch it a few times and be back to break it down with all new unlikely theories!

Are you excited for Us? Will you be watching the trailer on Christmas Day? Let’s discuss in the comments!