This month marks the second anniversary of Jordan Peele’s instant horror classic, Us, which hit theaters March 22nd, 2019. In the film, a nuclear family traveling to their summer home for a vacation falls into a deadly mystery of mistaken identity, leading to the ultimate power struggle. In line with our anniversary themed year over at the Afro Horror podcast, we decided to revisit the film with guest host Jennifer Ford, of Shootin the Ish with A Brit podcast fame. You can listen to our two hour in depth discussion on your favorite podcast platform. But today I thought I would highlight a few moments from the movie that I feel are great examples of a successful horror script.
Here are the three most crucial horror screenwriting moments to take away from US to help inspire you to elevate your own script to scare-tastic results.
I have said this before and I will say it again: The first ten pages of your script are crucial. Hell, maybe even the first five. In horror, your opening sequence or teaser should drop us into the story while simultaneously presenting us with the temperature of what we’ll be tuning in for the rest of the ride. This is why I am so adamant about not walking into the theatre late. I know the best horror films will open with an absolutely stunning sequence!
In US, we open on a young girl with her parents at a beach front fair. Her father is all but absent, creating tension with her mother, who is just trying to enjoy the evening. Soon after, we see the young girl wander away from her fighting parents into a mirror house where she is grabbed by...well...her reflection. It’s engaging, captivating and above all — scary.
If you’ve listened to the Afro Horror podcast, then you know I am not a fan of the “rule breaking” within the film. However, I will say Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) had a very satisfying arc, especially as a woman in horror. When we first meet Adelaide, she is timid, docile and quiet. She repeatedly expresses how uncomfortable she is during the vacation, resisting to even join her family for a beach day. She also chooses her words very carefully, as if to not say the wrong thing. By the time we hit the big reveal in the third act, Adelaide is a fierce warrior ready to kill anything and anyone that messes with her family.
Now, I am a firm believer that not all of your characters need a full arc. They could have a flat arc, reversal, etc. However, I also firmly believe that if you want your audience to really connect with your leading character, they should have a full realized, one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn around. We watch films to go on a journey, make sure your characters give us a good one to tag along on.
I probably should have led with this one because it’s honestly my favorite part about this movie. While Peele has admitted US was inspired by films like The Birds, Martyrs, and It Follows ( just to name a few), this is the first time we’ve seen this particular story on screen. Especially one featuring a Black family. The idea that a whole world of our tethered selves live below us, doomed to roam the world forever without freedom, is truly a fresh idea that we need more of in the genre. So the next time you're putting “pen to paper” ask yourself... Is this something we’ve seen before?
While there are definitely some story areas that fall apart in the film, US proved once again that true horror is rooted within a really good story.