Nope Review
Updated: Oct 21, 2022
Release Date: July 22, 2022
Runtime: 131 minutes
Post-Credit Scene: Nope
Jordan Peele strikes again with his 3rd feature film Nope. Unlike his previous works Get Out and Us, Nope is more of a thriller than an alternative take on horror films. Even though this film shouldn't be considered a horror, it still had my heart racing throughout the movie due to Peele's superb understanding of suspense.
A master at manipulating the audience, Nope kept viewers at the edge of their seats throughout the showing. Much like his previous films, Nope is also jam-packed with various themes that tie in together into one cohesive package that viewers shouldn't have much trouble deciphering.
The movie starts out with an unsettling intro where a disturbing phenomenon takes place on a ranch in California. OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) now has new responsibilities thrust onto him. Fast forward 6 months and we see that he is struggling to keep the ranch afloat. Emerald (Keke Palmer) attempts to help her brother by being the pitchwoman for their commercial auditions. While OJ is shy and timid, Emerald is much more charismatic but lazy and distracted by her multiple hobbies.
Just a few miles away from the ranch, a carnival named "Jupiter's Claim" has been up to some suspicious activity. Carnival owner Ricky "Jupe" Park (Sten Yeun) is a traumatized child star that has grown up trying to capture a spectacle. Jupe eagerly purchases any horses that OJ needs to sell off to keep the ranch. All in the name of trying to put together the greatest show on Earth.
The film tackles a variety of themes during its 131 minutes of runtime. Flashback sequences nail home the point that some animals weren't meant to be tamed. Strong eye imagery also gets woven into the narrative since not looking into the eyes of an animal will reduce how territorial they are. The main premise of the entire movie is trying to capture a spectacle on film.
Every character that is introduced is trying to capture a spectacle in one form or another. This was one of the messages that Jordan Peele wanted to convey in the film. The other is how unappreciated certain jobs in Hollywood are. There are those that get to bask in the attention of others and those that go completely unnoticed. Per Jordan Peele himself, he wrote the script to Nope early in the pandemic when the future of cinema as we know it was in question.
I feel that a perspective that is lost among many reviewers is the minority point of view. It is a common Hollywood trope that even though White people will go investigate the danger in a horror film, the person of color will always die first. Nope flips this by being a more faithful portrayal of what minority audiences expect would really happen.
Within the movie, there are many moments where the main characters simply refuse to interact with the frightening threat simply due to the outrageous BS that's occurring. These moments on top of Jordan Peele's comedic background added a fine mix of thrills and laughter.
From start to finish Nope is a spectacle to watch through and through. Every main character that gets thrown into the mix is as endearing as the last. A strong presence of themes and metaphors connects the various ambitions of our characters and presents a unified message. Scares paralleled by laughs is a winning recipe in Jordan Peele's filmmaking book.
The wide-open vista shots of the farm and the surrounding areas were a sight to behold. I have never seen a desert look so beautiful as they do in Nope. The casting was also wonderful and every character left their mark on the overall themes of the movie in one way or another. No casting choices were wasted. I'm eagerly awaiting for this film to hit streaming platforms soon to give it another few watches!
Final Verdict: 9/10
On my list to watch, specially after reading this. Thank you!