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[Review] ‘Us and Them’ Is a Clever and Stylish Home-Invasion Thriller

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While haunted castles and abandoned villages can be spooky enough in their own right, nothing quite gets the blood pumping like a good home invasion thriller. Combining these tropes with heavy-hitting social commentary and some memorable characters, writer-director Joe Martin has managed to craft a unique entry in this terrifying (albeit highly entertaining) sub-genre with his first feature film Us and Them.

Us and Them stars Jack Roth as Danny, a working-class boy who awkwardly shows up with Phillipa (Sophie Colquhoun) at the family estate, where her upper-class parents are waiting to meet her new boyfriend. However, things aren’t as they seem, and the situation soon takes a turn for the worse when masked invaders take the family hostage and force them to participate in a sick game as punishment for their bourgeois ways.

To say more would spoil the copious amounts of twists and turns that this sneaky little movie has in store, so suffice to say that what follows is a terrifying parable concerning greed, class warfare, and murder. Plus, it’s all complemented by some flashy editing and a witty soundtrack, making for a fun, if somewhat peculiar, watch.

Nevertheless, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows with Us and Them, as the film often feels confused both in tone and its intended message. These mixed signals get in the way of an otherwise entertaining experience, though it is a shame to see some elements of this clever premise go to waste. While the stylish directing and suspenseful time jumps are definitely appreciated, perhaps the script should have spent a little more time developing the story’s political foundation first.

Despite this, the non-linear approach to storytelling helps to keep things fresh, and, with so much going on plot-wise, it’s easy to forgive most of the script’s blemishes. The competent cast also helps sell the illusion, though Roth is obviously the star of the show here with his memorable lines and overall complexity as a character. His intense performance alone is what keeps the political banter from getting too heavy-handed, though the film does occasionally slip up on that regard.

Sadly, the uneven tone and frequent instances of long-winded dialogue keep Us and Them from becoming a fully-fledged home invasion nightmare, with some aspects of the supposedly brutal “game” that the family is forced to play even feeling downright tame at times. The movie still works as a political discussion and even a pseudo-character-study, but leaves something to be desired in the “thrills” department.

Overall, Us and Them is still an effective ride and a brutal depiction of what a deranged mind is capable of in the name of “justice”. It’s certainly not a perfect experience, but a compelling lead and some creative direction make the film fun and relevant enough to recommend to anyone who’s up for a side of social discourse with their home invasion thrills.

Us and Them is now available on VOD!

Born Brazilian, raised Canadian, Luiz is a writer and Film student that spends most of his time watching movies and subsequently complaining about them.

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SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

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As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

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