Summary
- The Tethered in Jordan Peele's "Us" are the result of a failed government cloning experiment, meant to control the above-ground population.
- The Tethered are tied to their above-ground counterparts and live in underground tunnels, forced to mimic their counterparts' lives.
- The twist in the film challenges the idea of good versus bad and invites audiences to reflect on the arbitrary details behind classism.
In Jordan Peele's Us, everything about the Tethered, from their purpose to the strange network of underground tunnels they hail from, is the disturbing byproduct of a government scheme. The film centers on Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) who, 33 years after a disturbing incident at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, returns to the vacation spot with her own family. Echoing Adelaide's haunting experience as a child, she and her family come face-to-face with their menacing doppelgängers — the Tethered.
Emerging from a secret underground facility, the Tethered hope to kill their above-ground counterparts and assume their places in the world. Red, Adelaide's double, reveals that the Tethered are the result of a failed government experiment. Forced to live in the shadows of their counterparts, the Tethered are fed up with their roles — and that anger leads to some of the scariest scenes from Us. However, the conspiracy is as multi-layered as the Tethered are menacing. While the Us movie ending doesn't provide all the answers to the origins of the Tethered and their purpose, it certainly insinuates a rather dark narrative.
Why The Government Created The Tethered (& Underground)
Us' Tethered and underground tunnels are haunting, but both have compelling origins related to the U.S. government. For starters, the Tethered are the result of a botched cloning experiment. Red explains that the government hoped to use these genetic clones to control the above-ground populace. However, while the government scientists mastered the act of duplicating a person's physical form, they struggled to replicate souls, or so they thought. Deeming the project a failure, the government abandoned the Tethered, sentencing them to a feral, underground existence.
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For generations, the Tethered lived in the abandoned tunnels, which are seemingly where the cloning experiments took place. Since the clones are purposefully tied to their above-ground counterparts — they share a soul, so to speak — the Tethered are forever linked to their originals. Forced to mindlessly mimic their counterparts, the Tethered live empty lives. Although the film never directly addresses why the U.S. government wanted to clone and control its citizens, Jordan Peele's Us is full of hidden meanings worth exploring. In the most general sense, the Tethered are a means of exploring America's past, and present, stories of oppression.
What The Tethered Really Mean In Us
Despite being a broad examination of class, race, and privilege, Us leans into elements of mystery to keep from getting bogged down by specifics. However, the film's shocking ending adds an interesting wrinkle to critical reads of the film. In an incredible plot twist, it is revealed that "Adelaide" is the double, while "Red" is the original, as the two switched places three decades earlier on that fateful night at the boardwalk. It's an interesting development that illustrates the very crux of classism: arbitrary details and moments of chance are what separate the haves from the have-nots.
Us' Tethered Purpose Explained By Jordan Peele
When it comes to his films' themes and narratives, Jordan Peele is open to discussing his intentions, but he also allows viewers the space for their takeaways. While Get Out took a more overt approach, Us is a little more nebulous. The Tethered are an example of the "Other" — feared because of that fundamental otherness. While themes of classism, racism, and oppression prevail, Peele has also reiterated the importance of the Tethered being clones. The doubles, who seem to be the villains of the film, look like the apparent heroes.
"This movie’s about maybe the monster is you," Peele told next Jordan Peele movie following Nope remains to be announced, there's no denying that the Tethered from Us — and their true purpose — will always be among the director's most interesting stories.
Sources: A.V. Club
