This 'Us' fan theory has people wanting to go back for multiple rewatches

Actors Winston Duke, from left, Lupita Nyong’o and director Jordan Peele pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Us’ in London, Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)
Actors Winston Duke, from left, Lupita Nyong’o and director Jordan Peele pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Us’ in London, Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Since its release last week, Jordan Peele’s latest film Us has spawned numerous theories and thought pieces, as viewers attempt to unpick the notoriously cryptic director’s doppelganger horror and its twist ending.

Reddit has been overwhelmed with posts about the film, but as noted by Vulture, one theory has proved popular. If you haven’t seen Us yet, spoilers follow.

Reddit user hoopsterben theorized in /r/FanTheories that the character of Jason, played by Evan Alex and his “tethered” double Pluto, switch places like Lupita Nyong’o’s Adelaide and her tethered Red.

Read more: ‘Us’: All the Easter eggs, references and hidden meanings

For context; the film darkly ends with the revelation that when Adelaide and Red first met in 1986, they switched places. The haunting smile she gives her son in the car as they drive away from what the family think are the evil doubles is believed to be a sign that he too is a swapped tethered.

Hoopsterben presented his evidence to Reddit, “1. He forgot the magic trick. He didn’t actually forget the magic trick, he learned it successfully and burnt half of his face off in the process, though his tethered only has a slight memory of him learning the trick. 2.While at the beach instead of building sand castles he was building tunnels, weird right 3. When both of the boys are in danger, the moms realize this had happened and each of them focus on their child. You can see in her eyes how sad she is when he burns alive.”

You can read the theory here, along with other users responses.

Whether you believe the Jason theory or not, it’s hard to deny the draw of Us – over the weekend, the film brought $70 million just in North America, giving it the second biggest opening of the year.

“Put simply, Jordan Peele is a genius,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution.