Film: Us

Tonight, I booked for The Amatis Piano Trio, at the Purcell Room in the Southbank Centre. Set off in good time to catch a bus - in fact, Google Maps said I could have caught one after it, and still made it! Now, it turned out the bus wasn't actually going all the way - never mind, I thought, I was due to be early anyway, and perhaps I could walk the extra distance in time, especially if we made good time on the way.

Well, we started off at a fair pace. Unfortunately, we hit such terrible traffic in the City that I knew I'd never make it. Not with the bus route terminating early. So when I got off, I hung around looking things up on my phone - film is always my emergency backup. Unfortunately, I hadn't updated the film list in ages, and knew it'd not only be too much of a chore to do it on my phone, but would take so long I wouldn't get to see anything! I contented myself with checking the ratings of the existing films at the top of my list, then checking to see whether they were showing.

Most didn't seem to be still showing at all, some had lost ratings. What actually came out top of the list in the end was After Life, showing only in the BFI - ironically, right beside where I'd been headed! That, of course, turned out to be sold out. So I trawled down through the list, my hands numb with cold, and me wondering whether I should just give up and go home. Until I hit Us.. and that was that. Actually, a more thorough trawl would have indicated that the rating for Wild Rose had risen, and that was now top of the list. But nyeh, I really, really wanted to see Us, so.. I checked where the next showings were, and what I could manage to get to in time, and the Vue West End it was. Cheaper than the nearby Odeon, where it was also showing - even taking into account the optional donation to Medicinema!

So I legged it over there, arrived during the ads, and sank gratefully into a plush, leather, pullman seat - the advantage of expensive cinemas. Endured a seemingly endless stream of superhero movie trailers, and the ignoramus in my row who wouldn't turn off their phone, but was fiddling with it for the whole film.. And off we go, at last!

Us is the latest horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele, who did the same for the excellent Get Out a couple of years ago. So, much was expected. The general consensus has been - and I can't disagree - that this one works better as a straightforward horror, whereas the previous film had a strong social commentary.

Ah yes, but that hardly does it justice. We all know the basic premise at this stage - that a family on holiday is attacked by their doppelgangers. The mother of the family is played by the excellent Lupita Nyong'o - as is her doppelganger, with a vastly different outfit and haircut. Also keep an eye out for her pal, played by Elizabeth Moss. Each character plays their own doppelganger - and it did strike me, in the midst of the chaos, how much fun that must have been!

One point that I noted in the IMDB spoilers for the film - which I hadn't noticed myself, earlier - is how the doppelgangers' weapon of choice - a large pair of scissors each - mirrors the "doubles" idea of the rest of the film. But hey, these are all questions for after you've watched it. Because I'll say this - I have never, in all my years of watching horror, watched a film as wide-eyed as I did tonight. The constant sense of dread, the consistently odd camera angles, and the sheer oddness of just about everything that happens, add up to a truly memorable and disturbing experience. And my goodness, I'll never listen to Minnie Ripperton's Les Fleurs again without bringing this film to mind.. Truly recommended for horror fans everywhere.

Funnily enough, there wasn't a single bus running as I was coming back! I took the Tube. And the scariest thing of the night to happen to me was, as I walked home, the guy across the road, beatboxing - but weirdly - who got progressively louder as he crossed the road to my side and came up behind me. I was seriously freaked - luckily, he didn't follow me down my road.

Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for a charity gig at the Backyard Comedy Club. Then I'm back to Ireland for Easter - by the time I got around to booking flights, that was the closest reasonably cheap date! Flying back to London next Monday.

On the 23rd, with UITCS again for Come From Away, finally, at the Phoenix. I've heard so much about this award-winning show, it's about time I saw it, eh?

On the 24th, back with London Literary Walks for his Elephant and Castle Walk. Another popular one.

And on the 25th - considering I'll still be on garden leave, and my days will be nice and free - I'm meeting 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners! for a walk about A History of Chelsea - from quaint to Quant. Starting in the morning, we're meeting in the bar of the Royal Court, and will have lunch after the walk.