Jordan Peele’s Us (2019) is a horror film that delves far deeper than its chilling surface. The film is a gripping exploration of the hidden aspects of human nature, using horror to expose the darker sides of ourselves that we often try to forget. The Tethered, doppelgängers of the film’s main characters, serve as physical manifestations of the guilt, trauma, and moral failings that people bury deep within. Peele suggests that these hidden parts of our identity are not only natural, but are shaped by the experiences and choices we refuse to confront. As the Tethered rise from the shadows, the film reveals that the idea of a clear, singular self falls apart when we realize how closely our sense of identity is tied to the fears and conflicts …show more content…
Adelaide’s repressed guilt from switching places with Red manifests in violence and fear, showing that trauma cannot be buried forever. On a societal level, the Tethered represent the marginalized and forgotten, symbolizing the collective guilt of ignoring societal injustices. The uprising of the Tethered, as seen in the chilling "Hands Across America" scene, illustrates how long-buried societal trauma and inequality can explode into chaos when left unaddressed. The film suggests that burying guilt and trauma only leads to more suffering—both personally and collectively—until reckoned with directly. Throughout the film, the characters' comfortable lives are juxtaposed with the suffering of the Tethered, suggesting that privilege is often built on the oppression of others. The film taps into the moral failings of ignoring this uncomfortable truth. The Wilson family, like the rest of society, has lived blissfully unaware of the Tethered’s existence. Their privilege is called into question when the Tethered emerge, demanding to be recognized as …show more content…
Throughout the film, "Adelaide" fights to protect her family from Red and the Tethered, believing she is battling an external threat. However, the twist reveals that Adelaide has been running from her past, burying the trauma and guilt of having stolen another’s life. In the final confrontation in the underground tunnels, she kills Red, violently reclaiming the life she took long ago. Though she defeats her Tethered counterpart, the end shows that Adelaide (now aware of her true origins) still carries the weight of her guilt and past actions. This suggests that even when we suppress or reject parts of ourselves, those darker aspects remain with us. Adelaide's final uneasy smile at her son, Jason—who seems to sense the truth—shows that her hidden self has been exposed, and she can no longer fully separate from it. This illustrates how rejecting our darker side, as Adelaide does by denying her origins, leads to unresolved tension and guilt. In an elaboration of this idea, the main character’s daughter, Zora, also has a self-specific battle with her own tethered