Project Title
Uncovering & Reforming America’s History in Jordan Peele’s Us (2019)
Faculty Mentor(s) Name(s)
Dr. Jennifer Flaherty
Abstract
Jordan Peele’s psychological thriller, Us (2019), is full of the adrenaline-spiking, bone-chilling horror that draws people in to see scary movies. While the film is perfect for that scare craving, Peele incorporates much more than the typical jump scare. When uncovering the layers of Us, one can see the deep, serious themes weaved throughout the storyline. Through the lenses of both feminist theory and Marxist theory, one can see the breaking down of societal norms and historical ways of life for both women and African Americans. Peele uses metaphors, parallels, and casting choices to showcase multiple themes that link directly back to America’s history. The film touches on dual femininity, female rage, black oppression, and slavery through the use of different social classes and having women in the lead roles. In the film, Peele creates diverse representation and reforms harmful treatment and stereotypes of these people groups by casting an African American family as the central focal point and casting the main protagonist and antagonist as an African American woman. Keywords: Marxism, feminist theory, dual femininity, oppression, slavery, female rage, diversity, representation, reformation
Uncovering & Reforming America’s History in Jordan Peele’s Us (2019)
Jordan Peele’s psychological thriller, Us (2019), is full of the adrenaline-spiking, bone-chilling horror that draws people in to see scary movies. While the film is perfect for that scare craving, Peele incorporates much more than the typical jump scare. When uncovering the layers of Us, one can see the deep, serious themes weaved throughout the storyline. Through the lenses of both feminist theory and Marxist theory, one can see the breaking down of societal norms and historical ways of life for both women and African Americans. Peele uses metaphors, parallels, and casting choices to showcase multiple themes that link directly back to America’s history. The film touches on dual femininity, female rage, black oppression, and slavery through the use of different social classes and having women in the lead roles. In the film, Peele creates diverse representation and reforms harmful treatment and stereotypes of these people groups by casting an African American family as the central focal point and casting the main protagonist and antagonist as an African American woman. Keywords: Marxism, feminist theory, dual femininity, oppression, slavery, female rage, diversity, representation, reformation