“Nope” Has More On Its Mind Than Just A Summer Movie Spectacle

“Nope” Has More On Its Mind Than Just A Summer Movie Spectacle

MOVIE REVIEW: NOPE (R)

Jordan Peele has come a long since his days as half of the righteously hilarious comedy duo that is Keegan and Peele. In 2017 he would light the horror world on fire with “Get Out,” a massive success that would go on to earn a Best Original Screenplay Oscar.  He would follow that film up a couple of years later with the social commentary-laced doppelganger thriller “Us.” Now, with his recent sci-fi horror epic, “Nope,” the question is, has lightning struck three times for the gifted Peele? In short, the answer is; Yep!

Set in the valleys of California’s Agua Dulce, “Nope” follows rancher siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) as they make a startling discovery after the untimely (and bizarre) passing of their father, Otis (Keith David.)  Through the aid of eager Frys Electronics employee Angel Torres (Brandon Perea), this trio set out to capture proof of this extraordinary discovery. Of course, this is a Jordan Peele movie so rest assured that while there is plenty of big summer movie spectacle on display in “Nope,” there’s a whole lot more to chew on in this ambitious slice of sci-fi/horror. One that culminates in a final act that will, no doubt, divide viewers.

“Nope” is bursting at the seams with wonderful winks at the likes of all the films that Peele has enjoyed through the years (most notably, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Jaws,” “Tremors,” “Independence Day,” “War of the Worlds,” and “Signs,” just to name a precious few), but it’s a testament to this man’s gifted nature as a storyteller that this movie still feels very much its own thing. Not one to deliver something obvious, Peele twists and subverts our expectations making for a UFO-centric movie that won’t necessarily be what you might be anticipating. Through the juggling of multiple themes, “Nope” is as provocative, strange, and thoughtful, as it is mysterious, thrilling, and hilarious. All of that said, the sprawling and unpredictable nature of this film often reminded me of something you might expect from an auteur of Paul Thomas Anderson’s ilk (specifically, think “Magnolia” with a sci-fi/horror bent.)

Again, while “Nope” certainly has horror and sci-fi elements, it’s also pretty damn funny. In fact, it’s easily the most humorous of Peele’s directorial efforts. Look no further than a scene in which Steven Yeun’s Ricky Park tells a tale of SNL parodying an episode of his now-defunct 90s television series, “Gordy.” It’s positively hilarious! Beyond that, there is plenty of social commentary bubbling underneath the surface as “Nope” takes aim at race, Hollywood, the American Dream, survival, the circle of life, territoriality, power struggles, miracles, our relationship with nature, and those things which simply can’t be explained.

The performances here are terrific right across the board. Coming off of his charismatic and bigger-than-life Oscar-winning turn in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Kaluuya completely switches gears in a performance that is far more lowkey, but that’s to the film’s great benefit.  His OJ may appear a bit aloof in the early goings of the film but truth be told, he’s a very smart individual with amazing survival instincts.

A high-energy, offbeat, and undeniably likable Palmer chews the scenery as a lovable Emerald, a woman who is not only looking for proof of quite the discovery but who also seeks validation for that proof. The supporting cast includes an affectionately grizzled Michael Wincott (“The Crow”) as a masterclass film director who becomes intrigued by the aforementioned discovery, Yeun (“Minari”) as a one-time child actor who’s looking to stay relevant in his adulthood life any way he can, a lively Perea as a salesman looking to break out of his seemingly mundane life, and an outstanding if all-too-brief David (a wonderful character actor you’ll probably remember from the likes of “John Carpenter’s The Thing,” “They Live,” and “Requiem For a Dream”), as a veteran Hollywood horse wrangler.

On a technical level, “Nope” is expertly shot by Hoyte Van Hoytema (who also aided in bringing Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” to the screen.) The proceedings are beautiful enough that when I go to see this movie a second time, I’ll do my best to make sure it’s in an Imax theater. Beyond the stellar cinematography, “Nope” should also be singled out for its expert use of sound and for a perfectly fitting Michael Abels score (this composer also collaborated with Peele on both “Us” and “Get Out.”). And, of course, we can’t talk about “Nope” without offering big-time props to the visual effects department for a most unique and unexpected approach to some of the bigger, more hotly discussed elements of this picture. Yes, I’m treading lightly so as to not spoil the surprises; Surprises that even the marketing campaign has wisely steered away from.

There’s certainly enough strangeness going on in “Nope” that might keep it from being embraced by the masses but that strangeness is precisely why this movie is likely to be cherished in many circles. Mine included! Hats off to Peele for stretching himself as a filmmaker. Not one to rest on his laurels, this storyteller has given us something substantially different from his previous two offerings, and what’s more, this is easily his biggest and most ambitious film yet. It’s a movie with real scope, but it’s also challenging in ways I wasn’t expecting. At the very least, “Nope” further cements Peele’s position as one of the strongest voices in contemporary horror. 

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