Share
Low Key
Let's Compare Jordan Peele's 'Us' and Get Out
"Get Out" was a horror classic, so Jordan Peele's "Us," his follow-up, had big, scary shoes to fill. In the latest "Low Key" podcast, we talk about whether the latest addition to the Peeleverse lives up to our very high expectations.
"Us" is a movie made for people who fixate on small details, like why Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) is offbeat when she snaps her fingers, and why her son Jason's lighter doesn't seem to have any fuel in it. It's a smorgasbord of low-key delights. But the subtleties add up powerfully: The more you think about "Us," the better it is.
"Us" works as a family slasher movie (and is probably the only film of the family slasher genre?), but also offers deeper meaning for anyone who cares to look. Peele also uses creepy, subtle symbols like rabbits, scissors and a Michael Jackson T-shirt to make a statement about social hierarchy.
It isn't hard to tunnel down a rabbit hole as you try to make sense of the world that "Us" inhabits... and wonder if it's our world, too.
If you like this episode, please subscribe on Apple and leave us a review. The reviews are also the best place to let us know if you agree with our theory about James, his lighter, and exactly what's going on with the Wilson family.
More episodes
View all episodes
3 Body Talk
51:15This episode, your pod pals Keith, Aaron and Tim talk about Netflix's the Three Body Problem, how the Game of Thrones guys love killing everyone you love, and how weird it is when supermodels are cast as cops and EMTs. We like the Three Body Problem, based on the novel by Liu Cixin that Tim is not sophisticated enough to understand.
X-Men 97 Can Save Us All
53:40In this episode we talk about our love of the brilliant X-Men 97, dream re-cast the 2000 X-Men movie, and pitch the greatest comic-book story that will never, ever be made. We also imagine a solution to the Logan-Scott-Jean love triangle, talk about past great animated shows, and envision a plan for world peace inspired by Magneto.Come to me, my X-Men (fans).P.S. Tim was wrong about X-Men #168 being the first issue he ever bought. It was #185.
Netflix's Damsel Models Itself After Grendel
38:48Netflix's Damsel flips the typical woman captured by beast narrative on its head, and lets the women take the lead but is it successful? Aaron and Keith talk about Millie Bobby Brown's performance as a fantasy heroine, why Damsel might have the best dragon CGI ever, and the oddness of so many reviewers focusing on gender while completely missing the impactful Grendel parallels for the main antagonist.
Dune 2: The First 2024 Blockbuster
42:33Is the Dune 2 worth the hype, or does the adaptation fail to build on the original film's strengths? Aaron, Keith and Tim talk through the challenges of watching science fiction epics, why the Dune series is flipping the typical hero formula, and how Dune 2 is likely to influence future Hollywood projects.
Is Griselda Goofy?
46:33This episode we talk about Griselda, the story of a woman who can sell drugs and kill people as well as any man.Tim loves it, Keith has some reservations, Aaron finds some things goofy.Also, since we recorded this conversation, the lawsuit filed by Griselda's son has been settled. Hooray!
True Detective: Night Country Works Even If You've Never Heard of the Yellow King
24:58Writer-director Issa Lopez enlists The Greatest Actress Ever, Jodie Foster, and rising star Kali Reis to reinvent HBO's gloriously gloomy crime series.Also: Check out Sonya Alexander's terrific interview with Issa Lopez for Moviemaker Magazine right here.
What If Season 2 Review
16:59
Going Cold Into Fargo
29:47This is a true story. We discuss the first four episodes of the magnificent Fargo Season 5.Also here's the deal with the nipple rings.