US

US: C+

There were a lot of things in this movie that worked and a lot of things that didn't. In regards to the film's story, it hit the mark in terms of urgency, suspense, thrill and action. The protagonists were heroic, courageous and easy to root for. The main character Adelaide, a heroine brought to life by a strong performance out of Lupita Nyong'o.

What doesn't work here, are nonsensical moments, major plot holes and unanswered questions. Jordan Peele needs to reenlist at Sarah Lawrence College and take a class in comic relief, as that was one of the film's greatest weaknesses. They weren't funny, they weren't alleviating, they weren't even properly distracting. The film worked so hard to bring you into the moment and capture your undivided attention, only to completely take you out of the moment with illogical and senseless character choices and dialog.

The film did itself a major disservice with a predictable and not only unnecessary but detrimental twist. The world of fiction, desperately needs iconic, heroic, and significant female characters as well as characters of color. The film built a definitive one throughout the story, only to take that assurance, turn it into ambiguity and leave us with a possibility of what could now be provisional. I think that was a mistake, and it not only weakened the character, it weakened the story.

The performances of the actors, the overall direction of the scenes, the musical score and the choice of setting were all enough to where this film was perfectly fine being told straight forward.

The old saying is sometimes less is more and to the point, sometimes more is less. That's US.