Student's Theories About Jordan Peele's Film, 'Us'

This box office record breaker has people in awe, so I asked UK students about their take on the meaning of the plot.

May 02, 2019

Student's Theories About Jordan Peele's Film, 'Us'

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Jordan Peele's latest film, "Us," had people left speechless all around the world. This movie is responsible for all the memes about "your tethered," and how you may not want to know who your doppelganger is after all. This horror film will have you on the edge of your seat all throughout and will leave you questioning EVERYTHING about the movie at the very end. The ending is what makes the film and, honestly, had me initially confused. I asked students what they think the movie's meaning was and the following quotes below are what they had to say.

"Classism"

"The tether represents the poor, even though they look like us." - Kendall

"'Us' is about how people tend to blame outsiders for all of our problems instead of looking to our roots."

- Anya

"You are definitely your own enemy with your shadow."

- Tessa

"You are your own worst enemy."

- Bradley

"The duality of man for sure, good and evil."

- Zach

"Honestly I don't know but the fact that Fu** The Police was playing in a white household tells me race [is involved]."

- Jordan

"Your past never actually goes away no matter how hard you try and move forward."

- Rachel

"The American Dream ain't all that."

"Poor people be leaving their poor homes but end up getting isolated in America just as bad, or even worse. The American Dream needs to die." - Isaac

"How politics has compressed the poorest of people."

- Sasha

"We're killing ourselves with our own negativity."

- Ryan

"Trump."

- Felix

When I watched this film, I loved it, but then became so confused once I got to the ending. Once I grasped what the ending was, I totally appreciated the complexity and originality of the piece itself. According to Jordan Peele in an interview with The Root, the following is what inspired him to write the screenplay: "[When] I decided to write this movie, I was stricken with the fact that we are in a time where we fear the other, whether it is the mysterious invader that we think is going to come and kill us or take our jobs or the faction that we don't live near that voted a different way than us. We're all pointing the finger and I want to suggest that [when] making a monster, we really need to look at our face. Maybe the evil is us."

Let me know what your theory is. DM me on Instagram @neehaw19

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Student's Theories About Jordan Peele's Film, 'Us'

This box office record breaker has people in awe, so I asked UK students about their take on the meaning of the plot.

"Classism"

"'Us' is about how people tend to blame outsiders for all of our problems instead of looking to our roots."

"You are definitely your own enemy with your shadow."

"You are your own worst enemy."

"The duality of man for sure, good and evil."

"Honestly I don't know but the fact that Fu** The Police was playing in a white household tells me race [is involved]."

"Your past never actually goes away no matter how hard you try and move forward."

"The American Dream ain't all that."

"How politics has compressed the poorest of people."

"We're killing ourselves with our own negativity."

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1. Southern Gothic

2. Autumn Acoustics

3. Autumn Leaves

4. Deep Dark Indie

5. Dreamy Fall

6. Halloween Hipster

7. Wanderlust

8. Your Favorite Coffeehouse

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1. Realizing there's no more toilet paper when it's already too late.

2. Making a cup of coffee in the morning and forgetting it in the car.

3. Pushing doors that say pull.

4. When you hear people chew.

5. When it's really quiet in a room and you hear that one person breathing like they just ran a marathon.

6. Grabbing a chocolate chip cookie, only to realize it's actually oatmeal raisin.

7. Getting comfortable in bed and then realizing you forgot to pee/turn off the light.

8. That one aunt/uncle that just always gives you that creepy vibe.

9. When your teacher makes you buy a textbook that you never even crack open.

10. Continuing to open and reopen the fridge until the food that you want magically makes its way in there.

11. Walking into a room and then automatically forgetting why you went in there.

12. People that drive without using their blinker.

13. When you have really slow wi-fi.

14. People who feel the need to scream into their phones as if the other person can't hear them.

15. The world's obsession with the Kardashian/Jenner families.

16. Advertisements before Youtube videos.

17. When people read over your shoulder.

18. A-holes that park in the handicapped spots when they, in fact, not handicapped.

19. People who cut in line.

20. The LIRR/MTA

21. Being stuck behind someone who is walking painfully slow.

22. When people smoke cigarettes right in front of the entrance to the building you have to walk into.

23. When boys think it's cool to treat girls like crap.

24. Guys that still go to high school parties even though they've been out of high school for years.

25. Celebrities that are obviously lip-syncing.

26. How you need a scissor to get the scissor out of its package.

27. When people text using that stupid "voice text" function.

28. Telling someone you can't hear them, so they use the same exact volume and just repeat what they said.

29. When someone gets in the shower right as you were about to get in the shower.

30. Saying "What?" for some reason, even though you heard what the person said.

31. When you're in a rush but the light is red.

32. Cashiers putting your change down on the counter instead of in your hand.

33. The people that go up to order food to the cashier but are still continuing their phone conversation.

34. That awkward time in the fall when it's freezing in the morning but stifling in the afternoon.

35. Emailing your professor a long winded paragraph about a problem you are having and they email back, "Sure."

36. Guys who put their car as their profile picture on Facebook.

37. Girls who have "X Years Young." in their Instagram bios.

38. Trying to find the beginning to a roll of tape.

39. When people drive your car and adjust your mirrors/seat.

40. People that talk during the movie.

41. People that decide to engage in conversation right in the middle of the hallway/sidewalk.

42. When someone says, "no offense," and then continues to say something offensive.

43. People that pop their significant others pimples.

44. Teacher's pets.

45. Going to the bathroom and someone goes into the stall right next to you.

46. When someone leaves your room and doesn't shut the door.

47. Political debates between two people who know nothing about politics.

48. When you get all ready to go out and your friend cancels plans.

49. People that drop their friends for their significant other.

50. People that don't like animals.

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Things to do in October.

1. Going to haunted houses with friends.

2. Going to Halloween parties with friends or families or both.

3. We all enjoy going to apple orchards to pick apples and to eat donuts with apple cider.

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