4. Us (2019)
Despite being relatively early in his directorial career, Jordan Peele has established himself as one of the most competent horror directors in Hollywood, and Us is an excellent example of his filmmaking talent. It follows a family as their vacation is interrupted by the sinister appearance of a group of exact doppelgangers (who identify themselves as the Tethered, genetic clones who share a soul with their original counterparts) who seem to wish them harm. Us is the sort of horror movie that builds to a staggering and brilliantly conceived finale, with a perfectly executed plot twist that speaks to Peele’s talent as a writer/director.
After Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) manages to track her doppelganger, Red, to the underground Tethered facility, the two finally face off. Adelaide manages to kill Red, rescuing her son Jason and escaping the facility. However, a flashback scene then reveals Adelaide’s true nature: she is in fact the Tethered clone, having switched places with her above-ground counterpart following the film’s somewhat cryptic opening scene, meaning that Red was in fact the “real” Adelaide all along.
The plot twist wasn’t entirely unpredictable, as there were numerous clues dotted throughout Us, but that’s exactly what makes the reveal so satisfying. It’s something that Us builds up to, but it was also practically shown in the opening scene, making it a brilliantly executed twist that reframes the entire narrative while also making its audience feel a little ignorant for not having realized sooner. The depth of Peele’s narrative and the hints hidden in plain sight makes the twist in Us one of the horror genre’s most memorable.