Synopsis:
The residents of ranch in a lonely gulch in California witness something truly terrifying in the sky above them.
Written and Directed by: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun, Michel Wincott
My Edition:
Vudu rental
My Thoughts:
We all know Jordan Peele is an incredibly talented horror filmmaker (and comedian). And I am extremely happy to report that Nope has proven that he is equally skilled in the realm of neo-western, sci-fi horror filmmaking. Which feels to me like a pretty niche genre. I mean, not to say nothin’ about nothin’ but a truly good alien horror movie is pretty hard to come by as it is. Especially modern ones (I’m looking at you, Signs, you incredibly disappointing waste of what genuinely felt like nearly endless hours of my life).
As much as I want to discuss the story in Nope, because it is a good one, I am actually going to not do that. I want you to go see it for yourself, without knowing in advance what’s going to happen.
Instead, I want to talk just a little bit about what makes this movie a standout feature.
First of all, like I said above – modern alien horror movies tend to be kinda…crappy. If you have suggestions that might change my mind, by all means tell me. I want to see better ones. I’ve seen some pretty good ones, but a lot more really crappy ones. I think they tend to rely too heavily on gore and jump scares (both of which I am fine with, but imo jump scares in particular need to serve a greater purpose than just “gotcha”). Nope definitely doesn’t rely on either of these things. In fact, I don’t recall seeing either of those things. The pacing is relatively slow, and honestly, not a lot of “action” happens. It’s really all about the tension. The build-up takes precedence over everything else. The whole story is geared toward making you feel the mounting terror of the characters. You wonder right along with them what this thing is, where it came from, and what it wants.
“What’s a bad miracle?”
And the alien, which they dub Jean Jacket, for reasons I’m not going to tell you (watch the movie!), is fucking crazy. No humanoid aliens here (thank you!!! Conceptually, I’m kinda over grey men/little green men/generally humanoid creatures – give me the unfathomable!). I think that this actually works in service of the neo-western aspect of Nope in a way that is really fascinating. It serves as the “great unknown” for our modern day “cowboys.” Whereas your typical western story deals with characters being exposed to areas previously undiscovered (heavy bunny ears here) and people they don’t (want to) understand, the neo-western has to do something a little different. The great unknown things they experience have to change by necessity. Now, in those wide open spaces, the unknown becomes more sinister, more otherworldly cuz we seem to think we know the entirety of the modern world (spoiler alert: nope).
I also think that while everybody in this movie is fantastic, and I love EVERY ONE of the main players, Keke Palmer absolutely shines in her role as Em. She’s the heart and soul of the film, in my opinion. She is just such a wonderfully layered, perfectly portrayed character. And you know what? I really enjoy every opportunity to see movies that center non-white characters. Give me more diverse perspectives!!!!
Rating:
Ultimately, you’re gonna do what you’re gonna do, but if you want to see a well-crafted, beautifully shot, well acted, and written film about a weird-ass alien causing terrifying shenanigans for a family you’re gonna quickly grow to adore, see Nope. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Nope Directed by: Jordan Peele US Release Date: July 22, 2022 Universal Pictures Rated R 130 Minutes
