Us  ★★★★

DON’T let anyone reveal the secrets of Us before you see it.

Jordan Peele’s follow-up to his 2017 debut Get Out is more intricate and complex in story-telling and deeper and significantly more ambitious in theme.

Does this make it a better film? Maybe? I won’t entirely be sure until after a second, and maybe even a third, viewing of this fascinating mental exercise.

What I can say is that with these two films Peele has already entered that revered level of ‘director you are dying to see what they do next’ with the likes of Nolan, Tarantino and Anderson.

In Us, after a thoroughly engrossing 90 minutes of multi-layered and tension-filled horror, Peele takes audiences even further down the rabbit hole to provide both literal and metaphorical explanations of what has gone before.

It’s a high-risk strategy and one that may harm the film’s repeat business at the cinema until such time as a home release when people can pause, reverse, re-watch and debate the film’s meaning.

It’s also a wonderfully effective approach in Peele’s hands because he gives us three viewing experiences in one.

Firstly there is the straight horror narrative with a family under siege and the added twist of each intruder looking exactly like a member of the family they are stalking. This narrative features constant, edge-of-the-seat moments and a satisfying conclusion when taken on straight merit.

Then you have the literal explanation of how the doppelgangers came to exist and what they are after which provides an endlessly interesting and labyrinthine trip into fantasy and science-fiction elements, replete with a range of hints in script and design.

Finally, you can spend hours pulling apart the other two layers of the film to consider the metaphorical meaning and over-arching themes

Combine all this with terrific dual performances from all the key cast members, led by Black Panther alumni Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke, great editing, cinematography and sound effects, and you have one hell of an entertaining and brilliantly executed ride.

I’m not even going to do a spoiler section section here, just see the film and be entertained, enthralled and mystified.