Jordan Peele’s Us — Courtesy of Universal Pictures and Monkeypaw Productions
Lupita Nyong’o (Us)
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If this list was written before the release of Jordan Peele’s latest film, there’s no way that a performance would have ranked higher than Toni Collette in Hereditary, but here we are. Us has only been in theaters for a couple of weeks, so I’ll do my best to avoid all spoilers and still do Lupita Nyongo’s performance justice — but I suspect you’d need a better writer to accomplish such a feat.
In Us — Peele’s second film — Nyong’o plays dual roles as Adelaide Wilson and Red, her wicked doppelganger. The actress commands the screen, often having to play terrified AND terrifying in the same scene. It’s riveting to witness Nyong’o play a loving and protective mother one moment, to seeing her play a demented and violently motivated copy of herself the next. From her appearance to her broken speech and animalistic movements, the actress is simply terrifying as Red.
That’s it. There’s so much to say that is better left unsaid for people who’ve yet to see the movie. So just rush out and witness the film and performance for yourself. Lupita Nyong’o is acting her ass off, and it’s the crowning horror performance of the 2010s.
Have different choices for the greatest horror performances of the decade? Share your thoughts with us!