About Awards And Us

Plus: The Golden Globes, Ramy, and What's Making Us Happy by Linda Holmes Welcome! It was the week when the royal family was [even more of a saga]( than usual. It was the week when the world said goodbye to [one of its comedy greats]( and [to the adaptor-creator]( of a beloved and groundbreaking show. And it was the week when we learned that [there's going to be a The Nanny musical](. Let's get to it. Opening Argument: About Awards And Us There are only two films in the top 20 domestic box office hits of 2019 that aren't, in one way or another, tied to some other existing property. (That is: sequels, adaptations, franchise entries, etc.) One is Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which has been getting a great deal of awards consideration. The other is Us, which hasn't been. [Us Image]( Claudette Barius/Universal Pictures Us is a creepy, unsettling piece of work from Jordan Peele that, like most good horror, is intimately tied to everyday worries. Both personal and societal. It features an indelible central performance from Lupita Nyong'o as Red, the matriarch of a family of doppelgangers who come to terrorize the family that looks exactly like them. It's tempting to chalk up what's so far an underwhelming awards season for Us to the fact that it's horror, and that genre often suffers when it comes to prestige. But writer-director Jordan Peele's last horror film, Get Out, was lavished with nominations when it came out in 2017 -- including a rare best picture Oscar nomination for a horror film and a Golden Globe nomination for best motion picture (musical or comedy, which ... OK). Its lead, Daniel Kaluuya, was nominated for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe as well. Why that Jordan Peele film and not this one? It's certainly possible with this kind of impossibly small sample size that it's just the personal tastes of voters, but it's sad to see so little momentum for the movie at this point. Us isn't as much of a talky movie as Get Out; it doesn't have the dinner parties and the seemingly innocent conversations. It also doesn't have the explicit overlay of a law enforcement response. But to me, it's more visceral, more purely scary, and more weird. When I think of Get Out, I think of its cleverness and its sharp social critique; when I think of Us, I think more of its gut-level terror. I think of its imagery and art direction. Certainly, I think of that Nyong'o performance. Her eyes, her gait, her voice. I don't remember precisely the look and movement of the other characters, but hers, I do. And I can't ask for much more from an award nominee than that. I'm still thinking about the look in her eyes months and months later. We Recommend: The Golden Globes win for Ramy Youssef as lead actor in a comedy may have been a surprise, but if you haven't watched Ramy on Hulu, [give it a go](. I'm not here to tell you to become a person who watches Kids' Baking Championship. But I'm here to tell you I watch it, and it's back for a new season. Do you like cupcakes with way too much edible glitter? Then this is the show for you. The movie Just Mercy, starring Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson, a real attorney who has worked to free clients on death row (including one played in the film by Jamie Foxx), risks getting lost in the shuffle of big awards films. [But it's well worth seeking out](. What We Did This Week: [Cheer Image]( Netflix We covered the Golden Globes first thing Monday morning, and [we lived to tell the tale](. If you prefer your recap in writing rather than in podcast form, [I've got you covered]( on that side, too. On [our Friday show]( we talked about 1917, the big Golden Globes winner that came a little bit out of nowhere. I wrote about the Netflix docuseries Cheer, which showcases the athleticism of competitive cheer as well as the dangers it can present. What's Making Us Happy Every week on the show, we talk about some other things out in the world that have been giving us joy lately. Here they are: - Glen: [John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch]( - Stephen: [One of his heroes (Bon Iver's Justin Vernon) interviews another (the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers)]( - Bob: [Schitt's Creek]( - Linda: [The Repair Shop]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [pchh@npr.org](mailto:pchh@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Books, Daily News and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Pop Culture Happy Hour emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](