The Oscar nominations will be revealed this coming Monday morning. I am pulling for a previous Oscar winner to be invited to Hollywood Prom Night once again. That gorgeous ebony goddess, Lupita Nyong'o, won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her gripping work as an enslaved woman in director Steve McQueen's 2013 drama, 12 YEARS A SLAVE.
Did you see US, the modern-day horror thriller written and directed by Jordan Peele? Lord, have mercy. He wore me out with GET OUT. He did it again with US. Lupita plays a wife and mom in Southern California. The family of four -- Mom, Dad and the two sweet kids -- are on a vacation and spending time at the beach. They're staying in a very nice, roomy and comfortable house. Then, one night, four people show up in the driveway. The four stand in the shadow and we cannot see their faces. It's a most eerie scene. Dad goes out to make them leave the property while Mom gets on phone to call the cops. Things get freaky. I will not spoil it. However, I will tell you that Jordan Peele's love of classic films like INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and THE STEPFORD WIVES is reflected in this story. Combined with that is some social commentary to make you think. There is one class on top of another class. The story is called US because the four invaders, out to do harm, are exact replicas of the four family members in the house.
Lupita Nyong'o has a dual role. She plays both the protective mother and the invader. She's awesome in this film, giving a distinct voice and personality to each character. The mother, Adelaide, experienced some childhood trauma at a seaside amusement park. In her adult years, that experience remains a small dark cloud in the back of her mind and impacts the tight attention she gives to her kids. Has that trauma come to live again in the invaders?
This movie plays with your mind like a cat playing with a squeak toy. Honestly, you may not totally get the plot. But you cannot deny that Lupita Nyong'o delivers a powerful performance. If she gets a nomination for Best Actress on Monday, she will be the third Black actress in Hollywood history to have a Best Supporting Actress and a Best Actress nomination in her credits. First there was Whoopi Goldberg -- Best Actress Oscar nominee for THE COLOR PURPLE and Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for GHOST. Then there was Viola Davis -- Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee for DOUBT, Best Actress Oscar nominee for THE HELP and Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for FENCES.
Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer are the most Oscar-nominated Black actresses in Hollywood history with three nominations each. Now we wait for early Monday morning when the nominations are announced.
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