The cryptic marketing for Jordan Peele’s Nope inspired theories, speculation, and interpretation from the outset. In a short period and with only two previous features under his belt, the filmmaker established a distinct blend of accessible and unpredictable horror with a depth of subtext and symbolism lurking beneath the horror. Peele’s latest retools the summer blockbuster, nestling a fascinating indictment beneath accessible crowd-pleasing thrills.
OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) struggles to keep his recently passed father’s horse ranch afloat. Accumulated debt and chaotic production sets force OJ to reluctantly sell some of his dad’s horses to his nearest neighbor, former child sitcom star turned theme park owner Ricky ‘Jupe’ Park (Steven Yuen). The arrival of OJ’s lively sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) adds to his stress as he tries to maintain faithful responsibility toward the family ranch. But then an eerie phenomenon begins swooping over their valley, prompting the siblings to enlist Fry’s employee Angel (Brandon Perea) for tech aid to capture it on camera. Naturally, it escalates beyond their wildest imagination and into perilous territory.
Nope opens with shocking and grim imagery, seemingly removed from the central Haywood story. It’s the first clue toward Peele’s trojan horse, an indictment of the fickle nature and short-term memory of entertainment. Jupe harbors childhood trauma from an onset catastrophe; it’s still very fresh for him. But for everyone else, it’s a long-forgotten blip in television history, only faintly immortalized by cruel parodies in humor magazines or popular sketch TV shows.
As Emerald points out in an opening speech to a disinterested production crew, “The Galloping Horse” made history as the first motion picture. Still, the horse jockey featured in the short film remains uncredited and unknown. Characters in Nope relentlessly give themselves over to their art, regardless of physical or financial ruin, despite a world that’s forgotten them. It’s as much a critique of the system as it is of how we consume media in multiple forms. We chew it up, then spit it out before eagerly moving on to the next big thing, wiping the discarded from memory with a callous quickness.
Connecting the subtext to the surface-level summer blockbuster isn’t as fluid in parts. Intercut flashbacks meant to offer clues and drive the plot forward can feel scant in meaning and purpose. There’s a lot of backstory that feels crucial to current events. Some of it gets rushed through as needed.
All that subtext, and text, get wrapped in one easily digestible and fun summer spectacle. Peele makes humorous and effective use of the film’s title as he subjects OJ and Keke to surprising and chilling scenes that will make them and the viewer shake their head and utter, “Nope!” The filmmaker also finds innovative ways to shake up the familiar, ensuring that even when you think you know what’s happening, you don’t. Not entirely, anyway. It leads to some surprisingly bloody moments and startling imagery.
A fantastic cast anchors the larger-than-life quality of Nope and its genre-bending thrills. Perea brings some organic comedic relief, and Michael Wincott lives up to his long-awaited return with the expected and welcome gravitas. But it’s Kaluuya and Palmer’s movie, and their sibling relationship is the emotional backbone. The clashing personalities, bickering, and deep history create an infectious and poignant throughline that grounds the fantastical elements.
Much like Us, there’s a duality to Nope. On the surface, it’s an accessible, straightforward sci-fi horror movie that nails its humor as much as it elicits gasps. Below is a darker examination of media and those it abused and left behind. Peele effectively captures the scope and spectacle of a summer blockbuster, packing it with chill-inducing moments, gasp-worthy thrills, and endless endearing characters. He also continues his streak of layering scathing critiques within a horror crowd-pleaser that keeps you guessing.
Nope arrives in theaters on July 22, 2022.
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