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Jordan Peele's 'Us' ending explained – and the details you might have missed

*Avoiding mirror reflection forever*

Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
March 26, 2019
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Us was released in UK theatres on Friday, and fans are already discussing the terrifying film from Get Out director Jordan Peele. The story follows a holidaying family as they are faced with their evil twins – doppelganger versions of themselves who dress in identical red jumpsuits and first appear by standing silently in the family's driveway before terrorising their counterparts, who have no choice but to fight back. The film has been a huge hit with viewers, but many people were left scratching their heads at the ending. Warning – spoilers for the ending of Us are ahead, along with a full explanation of just what it all meant…

us little girl

The ending of Us saw the main character, Lupita Nyong'o's Adelaide, follow the shadow version of herself into an underground lair in order to rescue her son, Jason. During an exchange between the pair, we learn that Adelaide's shadow, Red, and she indeed met when she was a young girl. However, it is then revealed that the shadow-version actually attacked the human-version of Adelaide and chained her in the underground lair where the 'Tethered' live, while taking her place in the real world. As such, the hero we had been following throughout the film was actually one of the Tethered herself, and Red had been the real version of them both all along.

us jason

The final scene of the horror shows Adelaide's son, Jason, look at his mother before placing his mask back over himself, strongly hinting that he has learned the truth about her after hearing her murder Red in the underground lair. Fans were delighted with the twist, with one writing: "The plot twist at the end still got me questioning life," while another added: "Movie was amazing!! Great follow up film!! Movie not for the weak minded. Great Horror movie with good twist! Def will have you on the edge of your seat!"

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Other fans admitted that they saw the surprise ending coming and indeed, there are plenty of hints throughout the film that Adelaide might not be quite as she seems. The most obvious was from a flashback during a therapy session from when she was a little girl, where she overhears her mother crying and saying she just wants her little girl back. Of course, she couldn't have known that her daughter had been taken away and replaced with a changeling who didn't know how to speak properly or act in the real world. It was also hinted when Red was the only member of the Tethered who could actually speak, even though her voice was rusty from lack of use over the years. In another scene, eagle-eyed viewers were quick to spot that Adelaide struggled to click along to the rhythm of a song, hinting that something might not be quite right with her character.

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