The psychological horror movie Us wins big at the the 51st NAACP Image Awards, with Jordan Peele and actress Lupita Nyong’o receiving top awards. Us was written and directed by Peele, as his followup to the massively successful Get Out. Released in March 2019, the film followed a family of four who are attacked by doppelgängers during a trip to the beach. Us was received positively by critics, who praised the film for its screenplay and direction. Nyong’o was also singled out, with many reviewers citing her complex portrayal of two opposite characters as a highlight. At the worldwide box office, the movie earned $255 million against a production budget of just $20 million. And yet, in spite of unanimous acclaim from audiences and analysts, Us was largely left out of contention for major awards. It was not recognized at the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes.
Possible reasons for the omission varied. Some have argued that the release date for Us worked against it. Premiering so early in the year, it was largely forgotten about and crowded out by the time the big ceremonies rolled around. Others disputed this line of justification, pointing out that Get Out had been released in February and still managed to rack up several Oscar nominations. It was also said that Us was ultimately less powerful than Peele’s first feature, more muddled in its execution and its messaging. For many however, the lack of acknowledgement for Us was simply another sign of Hollywood’s reluctance to reward genre films. At the 2020 NAACP Image Awards, which aired live Saturday on BET, the film was one of the major nominees. Just Mercy, When They See Us, and Black-ish were also in contention.
Per THR, Peele won for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture. Peele was also up in the Outstanding Directing category for Us, though Chiwetel Ejiofor walked away with the prize for the Netflix film The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Nyong’o won Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, beating out the likes of Cynthia Erivo and Jodie Turner-Smith. Erivo and Turner-Smith were nominated for their performances in Harriet and Queen & Slim, respectively.
The show, which was hosted by Black-ish star Anthony Anderson, featured big wins for Just Mercy. The legal drama, based on a true story, was also largely shut out during awards season. It snagged the victory in the Outstanding Motion Picture category, with Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Fox winning for their performances in the film. On the television side, When They See Us swept the limited series categories. Black-ish dominated the comedy lane, while the drama series Greenleaf nabbed two statues.
Lizzo won Entertainer of The Year and Rihanna received the honorary President’s Award. Lil Nas X, who achieved mega stardom thanks to “Old Town Road”, was named Outstanding New Artist. Overall, it was an awards show where talented performers were celebrated. But it brings back the question of why a standout movie like Us, and particularly Nyong’o’s lead performance in it, didn’t receive more recognition.
More: Why The Oscars Snubbed Horror In 2020
Source: THR
