Directed by Jordan Peele, Nope follows two siblings, OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer), who run a California horse ranch. They discover something strange and sinister in the skies above and try to get video evidence, while the owner (Steven Yeun) of an adjacent theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon.
Jordan Peele has shown the world that aside from being a great comedian he is also a masterful director, especially when it came to horror. So of course there was no way I was going to miss out on his newest installment that takes an ambitious swing at the sci-fi genre. And after finally watching it I can say with the utmost certainty that Peele’s ambitious swing resulted in another knockout film. That’s right everyone. Jordan Peele is now three for three in his filmography, creating a truly phenomenal sci-fi horror/thriller that may just be one of the best original alien films I have seen in years. It was truly unpredictable from start to finish, ignoring all the rules and cliches of other films in the genre and instead going in its own direction that allows audiences to be engaged in edge-of-your-seat suspense and surprising thrills.
I know that there were a lot of people who were worried that the trailers, more specifically the second trailer, gave too much away in terms of plot and surprises but trust me when I say that nothing was given away at all. Nothing goes the way you think it does with this film and there were many surprises that had my jaw drop and my mind completely blown. This film has a lot to unpack and obviously, there’s not too much I can discuss due to heavy spoilers, but as always I’ll share what I can.
Just like Peele’s previous films we have a relatively small primary cast to focus on through most of the film, which is a rarity these days with sci-fi and alien films. Most are built to be grand epics with super high stakes and ensemble casts but that is not the case with Nope.
While on a technical scale this film feels like an epic it’s actually way more intimate and isolated with its setting and characters, so there are no world-ending high stakes but instead personal stakes that give the film a surprisingly grounded feeling. It’s very unexpected but very welcomed, especially because we are given engaging characters to follow thanks to how they are written and how dedicated the cast members are to their respective roles.
Daniel Kaluuya once again shines in his second collaboration with Jordan Peele, this time playing a very quiet and reserved character. But despite the character’s quiet nature, we see Kaluuya express his emotions perfectly through facial expressions and body language that tells you everything you need to know about what the character is going through without the need for any dialogue. As the character of OJ, you feel everything he feels and learn everything from his perspective in the best possible ways, making for a very compelling lead that doesn’t fall for the same trappings as other horror characters do.
Alongside him in this film is the energetic Emerald who is given a massive powerhouse performance by Keke Palmer. She is a polar opposite character compared to her sibling but is still absolutely lovable, given such a perfect performance from Palmer with the most emotion and humor of the film that feels all-natural and never forced. And while her energy and personality is vastly different from OJ you still believe in their sibling chemistry whether they are bonding or arguing.
We also get a great supporting and breakthrough performance from Brandon Perea as Angel Torres, who also offers some great humor of his own and some of the best reactions to everything that goes on.
Steven Yeun was definitely a surprise in this film, playing a character one would expect to be your typical greedy amusement park owner but didn’t end up being that at all. Even though he shows himself as a very enthusiastic entertainer on the outside he is extremely troubled on the inside due to past trauma that majorly connects to the current events going on. It’s a very refreshing take on a character that could have easily fallen into typical tropes we have seen in many horrors and of course, Steven Yeun always delivers his best no matter what he is in.
The rest of the supporting cast also plays their roles perfectly and never derails the ongoing suspense.
While this film isn’t a full-on horror like Get Out and Us there are many elements of horror still present in this film that can range from spine-chilling atmospheric suspense to downright disturbing sequences, especially when it gets to the UFO and the unknown entities inside. It is kept as a mystery throughout most of the film, making the fear of the unknown massively impactful to viewers, and when the exact nature and motives of the entity are revealed it is even more terrifying than anyone could imagine. I can’t say any more about it, other than I can’t look at clouds the same way again because of this film. Why does Peele have to make the most innocent things so scary?
Everything in this film leads up to Jordan Peele delivering another truly brilliant ending that had me sitting there absolutely shocked by how everything culminated so beautifully and left me in so much awe. He truly went out of his way to deliver something that really stays with viewers long after watching it and invites them to come back again.
In terms of themes, this film doesn’t have as powerful of a message like his previous films do but that’s not to say the given themes aren’t strong on their own. There are multiple themes littered throughout this film that people can pick out, such as a very suspenseful cat and mouse theme that serves as a core part of the film, a theme of turning tragic events into a spectacle, and a theme about the illusion of control that is done in a very interesting yet subtle way that I bet many people may have not picked up on. We as humans always have this desire to control or conquer or even tame things that we don’t fully understand for exploitation purposes and there are always consequences that come with doing that.
There is also a feeling of a constant challenge to the characters on how to react to a certain situation with this unknown entity, and each of them reacts in probably the most realistic ways based on their personalities and experiences, with a perfect blend of emotion, trauma, comedy, and horror done in Jordan Peele’s distinct style.
Much like the previous Peele films we can see ourselves in some of these characters in terms of what they choose to do in a scenario like this, which makes the film feel more engaging for viewers and unique in the genre. Plus the humor does offer much-needed breathing space between the constant suspense without undermining anything. There is also a small but very meta theme in the film regarding filmmaking and getting the perfect shot that will tell a story and impact viewers that I found to be interesting as well as relatable. It may not mean much to non-film buffs but it definitely will mean something to some people, especially when it comes to technical elements in filmmaking.
And speaking of technical elements this is probably the biggest film Jordan Peele has tackled in terms of size and scale, and he managed to deliver a truly marvelous gem, offering mesmerizing visuals, fantastic cinematography, flawless editing, excellent sound design, and an eerie yet thrilling score guaranteed to have a tight hold on you throughout the film. It is truly masterfully crafted on many levels that I honestly couldn’t pick out a single issue with this film.
Nope had me completely hooked from beginning to end, giving me one of the best film experiences this year that deserves to be seen by everyone. Peele’s passion as a director and storyteller can clearly be seen on screen in this film, wanting every single moment to be perfect for audiences to engage in and take away something different after watching. He is able to make original films that get people talking for years and years, which makes them way more memorable in comparison to others, and has the ability to inspire others to make films that do the same. As long as we have filmmakers like Jordan Peele among us I don’t think the film industry is ever going to run out of original ideas no matter what the genre is. And I for one can’t wait to see what Jordan Peele tackles next. I’m going to give Nope an A+ = 100.
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