Nope (2022) Review
“What’s a bad miracle?”
Jordan Peele’s new “horror” movie is his most ambitious project to date; proving that, not only does he still have more to give, he is undoubtedly one of the best working directors today. In a sense, NOPE feels like a culmination of both Peele’s previous works – using his refined technical prowess to tell a gorgeous looking sci-fi horror that feels perfectly ingrained within the thematic context he has introduced in his filmography thus far. And with that – he goes above and beyond to tell his most nuanced tale yet; finding a balance between crowd-pleasing fare and thought-provoking cinema. Along with finding a new collaborator in cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, Peele has finally managed to find a visual artist that matches his versatility/scope as a storyteller. Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and newcomer Brandon Perea all elevate the already brilliant screenplay into a film that’s an absolute all-timer; both as a summer blockbuster and as a divisive work of art.
After their father is inexplicably killed by a nickel falling out of the sky, Otis Jr. (Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Palmer) inherit the Haywood Ranch, a business that handles horses for film and television productions. They claim their ancestor is the unnamed jockey in Eadweard Muybridge's famous The Horse in Motion photograph series; setting a sense of agency they strive to take control of until the very last moment. Business isn’t going well and Otis decides to start the process of selling the property and horses to Ricky “Jupe” Park (Yeun) – former child actor and owner of space-themed amusement park, Jupiter’s Landing. When Ricky was younger, he survived a traumatic incident during a sitcom shoot in which the star, Gordy, a monkey, became enraged and killed two older cast members and dismembered the face of another child actor. However, Gordy shared a bond with Ricky before getting his brains splattered – to which Ricky gained an unhealthy obsession over. As Em and OJ suspect extraterrestrial activity occurring on their property, they end up buying surveillance equipment for their ranch, and inadvertently end up recruiting Angel Torres (Perea), a washed-out recently single twenty-something year old Fry’s employee. As brother and sister attempt to garner footage of this extraterrestrial being, Jupe wants to tame and befriend it instead; displaying a contrast of how our society confronts the unknown. And, as we delve further into this digital era, this desensitization of spectacle becomes a huge part of our lives as well.
Nope is a film that can be viewed solely as an alien invasion film; and, to that degree, it works well enough. However, there are multiple themes boiling under the surface; foremost being the exploitation of minorities within the film industry and society’s commodification of trauma, and therein, an obsession with spectacle. Both these themes serve under the guise of the rest of the deceptively formal narrative; shifting in a unique and subdued manner as the film goes along to reach its own spectacle of a finale. And – it’s a display of which our titular characters must do their best to look away from as well; tying together the themes and narrative in a succinct manner. This is Peele’s first film that’s written to theme and it works on so many levels – choosing to put faith in his audience instead of spoon-feeding the morals of the story. Though, given Logan Paul’s multiple-tweet thread calling Nope “one of the worst movies I’ve seen in a long time”, it just goes to show the general state of media literacy in the first place. Plus, it’s ironic enough that he doesn’t understand that the media-obsessed motorcyclist is inherently poking fun at creators like him. Undoubtedly, this has split true fans of Peele as well; especially those looking more for his style of storytelling seemingly established in his last two endeavors. However, personally, I’m much more excited for this ambitious, and arguably messier, director we get to experience here; hoping he continues to shoot for the stars.
Unlike most blockbusters, the formal ramp-up of stakes here take a backseat to many of the themes that come to the forefront instead. There are many moments in which our leads choose to take the road less traveled in horror; the one that ends with them being alive. There are moments of silent dread as they contemplate their next step instead of resorting to constant bombastic sequences so stereotypically found within blockbusters like this. Obviously inspired by Spielberg – Peele never takes too much away to feel directly correlated; opting to forge his own path, and tone, instead. Because of how naturally the characters react in face of pure terror, the shock translates naturally into the audience as well; feeling slow at times – yet calculated. The film manages to find a sweet balance between humor and weightiness; walking a fine line like many of the best blockbusters do – but this is the rare one in which its themes engulf the narrative. And that’s just something that may not appeal to general audiences.
The final sequence is one of my favorites of the year; no dialogue, pure adrenaline, and a perfect conclusion to tie both thematic and narrative beats together. The Akira reference is cool enough but, truthfully, even though Peele manages to tell a slower-paced story here – he still is able to achieve that same level of blockbuster satisfaction by the end as well. By my second viewing, this cemented the feeling that this is everything I could want in a modern blockbuster; exciting and thought-provoking all at once. And with such stellar cinematography, music, casting, and direction – this is a film that, though will divide general audiences in the process, will manage to stay in the minds of filmgoers that are looking for a fresh experience; even if its ambitiousness occasionally outweighs its formal structure. This is truly a film that advances the blockbuster genre itself – and one that will be an inspiration for many future filmmakers to come.
