“Visit your local record shop to find out how you can be part of Hands Across America,” intones a cheery TV promo at the beginning of Jordan Peele’s terrifying new film Us, in theaters now. The reference to the 1986 charity event to help end homelessness sets up a major plot point and hints at the pivotal role composer Michael Abels’ post-modern score and a few well-placed pop tunes play in the film.
Abels, a symphonic composer recruited by Peele for his 2017 hit Get Out, says of the director, “he’s always challenging me to find different ways to scare the pants off people.