'Us' movie: 11 easter eggs, hidden meanings, and theories you probably missed By Nicky Idika Us easter eggs, theories, and symbolism explained. From Jeremiah 11:11 to the meaning behind the rabbits and Hands Across America. We know Jordan Peele's Us left you with more than a few questions. Jordan Peele's Us is full of easter eggs, hidden meanings, and sharp pop culture references. From the visual symbolism of the rabbits in the film to the meaning behind the Jeremiah 11:11 bible verse. When it comes to making sure fans parse through every colour choice, line of dialogue, and pop culture throwback, no one does it better than Jordan Peele. If the symbolism in Us had your gears turning long after you left the theatre, here is an explanation and analysis behind some of the film's key themes and imagery. This wild Us theory about Jason completely changes the Jordan Peele horror movie Warning: This post contains spoilers! via Universal Jeremiah 11:11 bible verse meaning and the significance of the number 11. Before childhood Adelaide wanders into the hall of mirrors, she passes a man on the street holding a cardboard sign that says Jeremiah 11:11. The King James translation of the bible verse in question is quite ominous sounding: “Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.” But what does that actually mean? A straightforward interpretation of the bible verse would suggest that the tethered are 'bringing evil upon' those above ground. A deeper analysis might suggest that the tethered are actually the ones unable to escape 'a great evil'. They are confined below ground without access to light, food, or fresh air, after all. The number 11 also comes up more than once in Us. For instance, just before Red, Pluto, Umbrae, and Abraham attack, the clock in Jason's room reads 11:11. 11:11 is also a perfect mirror image of itself, like the shadow family. Jeremiah 11:11 bible verse meaning Us movie. Picture: Universal Pictures/Screenshot What do the rabbits in Us symbolise? In Us, the people in the tunnels eat raw rabbits every time their above ground counterparts have a meal. Different theories have tried to explain the symbolism behind the rabbits in Us. One reddit theory notes that they might be a reference to Alice In Wonderland (i.e. down the rabbit hole). Other theories have tried to cast the rabbits as merely a sustainable food source for those in the tunnels (they procreate quickly and take up relatively little space). In a Guardian interview, Jordan Peele sheds a little light on the rabbits of Us: “They’re an animal of duality. They’re adorable but they terrify me at the same time. And they got those scissor-like ears that creep me out.” Duality you say? Us Movie symbolism rabbits. Picture: Universal Studios/YouTube Us trailer/Screenshot The single glove is a reference to Michael Jackson Michael Jackson related imagery actually pops up more than once in the film (Adelaide was an 80s kid, after all). At the carnival she gets a Michael Jackson t-shirt and, when Red and her family show up, she is only wearing one glove, similar to the way Michael Jackson wore one glove back in the 80s. In an interview with Mashable, Jordan Peele elaborated on this. "Michael Jackson is probably the patron saint of duality," Peele told Mashable. "The movie starts in the '80s — the duality with which I experienced him [Jackson] in that time was both as the guy that presented this outward positivity, but also the "Thriller" video which scared me to death." Us Movie one glove. Picture: Universal Pictures/Promotional poster Lupita Nyong'o explained Red's unique voice Red speaks in a low, uneven way which Us viewers undoubtedly found arresting. While explaining the reason for this voice, Lupita Nyong'o told Variety that she was "inspired by the condition spasmodic dysphonia." Lupita went on to say that SD "is a condition that comes about from trauma, sometimes emotional, sometimes physical. It creates this spasming in your vocal cords that leads to an irregular flow of air.” Some have criticised her connection of SD to the character, however, as it can be quite a devastating condition. via GIPHY There is symbolism behind the red candy apple Adelaide is eating as a child. You may have thought bible study was over with Jeremiah 11:11, but you were wrong. Young Adelaide is eating a red candy apple when she goes missing. In art, film, and literature, red apples often symbolise knowledge. In chapter Genesis of the Bible, Eve gains "knowledge of good and evil" after eating the forbidden fruit (often depicted as an apple). When Adelaide wanders off and is eventually dragged down to the tunnel, she gains knowledge of this dark society (evil) which exists tandem to the life she had above ground (relative good). The red apple may also hint at why the tethered wear red jumpsuits. Adelaide in Us eating a red candy apple. Picture: Universal Pictures/Trailer Adelaide is shackled with the same handcuffs she tied up Red with. When Red first attacks, she instructs Adelaide to 'tether herself to the table' with a pair of handcuffs. At the end of the film, it is understood that, when the fake Adelaide dragged the real Adelaide into the tunnels, she shackled her doppelgänger to the bed with a set of handcuffs. Hands Across America symbolism explained Hands Across America wasn't just some weird event that Jordan made up for the film. It actually happened. It took place in 1986 and sought to create a chain of people holding hands across the United States to raise awareness about homelessness. (It wasn't all that successful because America has, like, deserts and lakes and mountains) In Us, the tethered recreate the stunt at the direction of Red, who orchestrates their uprising. Instead of being a nice charity event, their version of Hands Across America sees the tethered join the human chain after they have slaughtered their above ground counterparts. Red holds on to a lot of pop culture references from when she was a kid, including Michael Jackson and Hands Across America. via Giphy The ambulance was foreshadowed by the toy Jason uses to jam the door. When Adelaide, Gabe, Zora, and Jason first arrive to the Santa Cruz house, Jason uses a toy ambulance to prop the closet door open while he is playing. At the end of the film, the family makes their escape via a real life ambulance. Us Movie Ambulance. Picture: Universal Pictures/Screenshot Adelaide's off beat snapping is supposed to alert us to the fact that there is something wrong with her. Many fans caught this in the trailer before the film actually came out. In the trailer for Us, Adelaide tells Jason to "get in rhythm", despite the fact that she herself is not in rhythm. This is the first clue that something is not quite right with Adelaide. via GIPHY Us' "we're Americans" line explained So, there's a bit of dialogue in Us that might have left you scratching your head. As the tethered are preparing to begin their attack, Adelaide asks "who are you?" Instead of saying something predictable like, "we're you", Red gives an usual response: "we're Americans." Jordan Peele explained the meaning behind the "we're Americans" line to Empire. "The imagery in this movie is based on my fear of the American society. I think Us can apply to anybody, human beings in general, your family, your country. And so for me, it was my country and the duality of our society.” By now, you might have also clocked on to the fact that the movie's title, Us, can also be interpreted as US (United States). After the way that Jordan talks about duality being a huge theme in Us, one might also consider the duality of America. Americans live in a reality where the image of "the land of the free and the home of the brave"is inconsistent with the legacy of slavery, mass incarceration, and institutionalised racism. In a sense there are two Americas. The one above ground, full of privilege, wealth, and opportunity. And the one below ground, where society is both separate and unequal. Zora and Jason's shadows have names with specific meanings: Pluto and Umbrae In Us, Jason's doppelgänger is named Pluto and Zora's is named Umbrae. The meanings behind the names Pluto and Umbrae are pretty fascinating. Pluto is the Greek name for the God of the underworld. Umbrae, according to dictionary.com, is a word meaning "the darkest part of a shadow". via GIPHY Us movie ending explained Us ending explained: The meaning of the plot twist in the Jordan Peele horror film In Us, we spend much of the movie believing that Adelaide had merely been traumatised by her tethered, Red. When Red and Adelaide have their stand-off, however, it is explained that the real Adelaide was kidnapped and dragged into the tunnels as a child. The fake Adelaide assumes the real Adelaide's life above ground, which is why she is unable to speak for a time. Meanwhile, Red holds on to memories and pop culture influences she experienced as a kid, including her red candy apple, Michael Jackson's one glove, and the Hands Across America concept. In an attempt to take back her life, Red is the one who influences the other tethered to go above ground. In their showdown, the fake Adelaide is the stronger one and she kills Red. At the very end, when the family is making their escape in the ambulance, Jason looks at his mother as though he has realised that she's not who she says she is. Fake Adelaide smirks, knowing she has killed her tethered once and for all.<doc-sep>Editor’s Note: This story contains spoilers about the film “Us.” (CNN) — If you are reading this story without having seen Jordan Peele’s latest film “Us,” then you have only yourself to blame. The movie is so layered that it probably takes more than one viewing to fully catch everything Peele appears to be trying to tell us in his new thriller, but we’re about to try. There’s biblical scripture, Michael Jackson references, “Easter eggs” and oh so many rabbits that people who have seen the film are trying to sort out. Viewers have been going back and forth on social media about what it all means – especially the ending. The film centers on the Wilsons, an African-American family on vacation in Santa Cruz, California, when their dopplegangers show up in red jumpsuits, one fingerless glove on their hands, some shears and murder on their minds. Jordan Peele and the art of being unapologetically black They are “The Tethered,” shadow people who have been living twisted underground versions of their counterparts’ lives. While Adelaide (played by Lupita Nyong’o) is meeting and falling in love with Gabe Wilson (played by Winston Duke), their “shadows” – Red and Abraham – are being thrown together in the world of “The Tethered.” This alternate union is an unhappy version of their marriage and produces monstrous forms of the Wilson children, played by Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex. The actors perform both roles and none so masterfully as Nyong’o, who is already receiving early awards season buzz. Her character is powerful a woman who, as a child, came face to face with her shadow person and has apparently been traumatized about it since. After much blood letting in which legions of “The Tethered” show up above ground to kill their counterparts and form a “Hands Across America” type chain, there is an epic battle between Adelaide and Red. But hold on, there’s a twist! (We won’t give it away.) The Wilson’s son eventually figures out what’s going on and the movie ends with the family fleeing “The Tethered” in a car driven by his mother, giving her son the creepiest of smiles. What the hell, Peele! How do you sleep at night?!? ! “I think a lot of people are catching onto the fact that there’s a lot of United States/American imagery in this,” Peele, who wrote and directed the film, told NPR. “And the duality of this country and our beliefs and our demons, I think, is on display,” he said. “But I think ‘us’ is bigger than that. And I think one of the reasons this movie has an expansiveness is because ‘us’ is subjective.” ’Us’ delivers thrills, but it’s no ‘Get Out’ Peele said the term “us” means different things to different people. “I think in the simplest form, the very nature of ‘us’ means there is a ‘them,’ right?,” he said. “So that is what this movie is about to me, is that: Whatever your ‘us’ is, we turn ‘them’ into the enemy, and maybe ‘we’ are our own worst enemy.” Deep right? Now back to that ending. Does it mean there will be a sequel? Or maybe a prequel? Probably, because the film made a gazillion dollars its opening weekend (ok, it really made more than triple its $20 million production budget). Hollywood is nothing if not consistent in trying to keep a good thing going. Jordan Peele surprises Hollywood again: ‘Us’ brings in $70 million, well more than expected Sounds like Peele has plenty to work with. “I have the entire mythology of this world because the audience can tell if you don’t,” Peele told Polygon of the underworld in which “The Tethered” live. At least we know where that smile in the last scene came from. Peele told Polygon the “Mirror Image” episode of “The Twilight Zone” was a big influence for the film. “There’s something about this idea that the doppelganger that has this creepy smile,” he said. “They know more than you know.”<doc-sep>
Us ending explained: The meaning of the plot twist in the Jordan Peele horror film By Sam Prance Everyone is losing it over how Jordan Peele's new horror film 'Us' ends... Jordan Peele's new horror film Us is finally here and everyone is losing it over how it ends. 23 'Us' memes that will make you and your tethered laugh out loud Us tells the chilling story of Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o), her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and their two children Zora (Shahidi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). The movie opens with Adelaide experiencing a terrifying incident as a child in which she stumbles across her doppelgänger in an abandoned mirror maze. Years later, history repeats itself, when Adelaide and her family meet a group of murderous lookalikes at their beach house. It's wild and Lupita lowkey deserves two Oscars for both of her performances in the film. Us ending explained - SPOILERS BELOW Us ending explained: How does the Jordan Peele film end? Picture: Universal Pictures Throughout Us, it gradually becomes more clear what happened in the abandoned mirror maze all those years ago and who the doppelgängers are. After escaping their house and killing Gabe's lookalike Abraham, the Wilsons go to their friends' for safety. However, they find out that their friends have all been murdered by doppelgängers, kill them, turn on the news and learn that the same thing is happening all around the US. The Wilsons' then attempt to flee the US via car but their own doppelgängers find them. Nevertheless, they run over Zora's (Umbrae) and trick Jason's (Pluto) into being burned alive after Pluto attempts to set their car on fire. Adelaide's (Red) then abducts Jason and Adelaide chases after them, returning to the mirror maze from her childhood. Here she goes through a secret tunnel into an underground facility full of rabbits. Adelaide then finds Red who reveals all... well, almost all. The doppelgängers are a group of clones called the Tethered. The government created the Tethered in a bid to control the public but, after the experiment failed, the Tethered were left to rot underground. For generations, the Tethered did nothing except mimic whatever their above ground counterparts did and feed on rabbits. Red then organised their escape. After Red's explanation, Adelaide manages to kill her and find Jason. They then return to Gabe and Zora and drive off in an abandoned ambulance. This is where it gets wild. Adelaide has a flashback in which she remembers that as a child Red knocked her out, chained her underground and switched places with her. In other words, she is actually Red and vice versa. She had just blocked out her trauma. via GIPHY Adelaide then exchanges a glance with Jason (who becomes increasingly suspicious of his mother's identity) and the film ends with the camera panning out and showing doppelgängers holding hands in an extensive line around the US in the style of Hands Across America. This may seem odd but the actual first scene of Us is Adelaide as a child watching a promo for Hands Across America, which then must have inspired her escape as Red. It's her own demonstration. There are actually multiple hints as to the fact that Adelaide is actually Red in the film. Adelaide doesn't eat meat (perhaps because she is unknowingly scarred by eating rabbits as a child), she says she struggles to talk (the Tethered can't speak except for Red, who is actually a human) and when she kills Red she lets out a primal scream (Red also whistles Itsy Bitsy Spider which she likely heard on Earth as Adelaide). Not to mention, we see flashbacks of Adelaide being unable to speak after her maze incident as a child. Originally it looks like she is just scarred by her experience but, with context, it's clear that she is Red and she is only just learning to speak. Essentially, it becomes unclear who is right and who is wrong and makes you question your entire morality. Amazing. Naturally, there are many other clues throughout the film and theories as to what it all means. What did you spot? What did you think of the Us ending?