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Nope
(Universal Pictures)
By Lucas Allen
With his previous films “Get Out” and “Us,” writer/producer/director Jordan Peele has made some of the most chilling and socially conscious horror films since George A. Romero. This time, he aims for the sci-fi genre with his own brand of originality in his new film “Nope.” If 1951’s “The Thing from Another World” taught us to keep watching the skies, this one dares you not to look at them.
At a horse ranch in Southern California, mysterious objects are falling from the sky, including a nickel that struck and killed ranch owner Otis Haywood Sr. (Keith David). Siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) inherit their late father’s ranch, where horses for Hollywood productions are trained. OJ remains unconvinced that the tragic accident was anything natural. When he starts seeing what could be a UFO, he and Emerald turn to a tech expert, Angel (Brandon Perea), to set up security cameras to try to capture it.
After witnessing another incident, they discover that the mysterious object could be hiding inside an unmoving cloud. To truly expose it, they hire a cinematographer (Michael Wincott) to capture it on film since it can cause anything digital to shut down automatically within its presence. But the UFO proves to be a terrifying force, especially when it makes an appearance at a Wild West Theme Park owned by former child actor Ricky Park (Steven Yeun).
The movie shares some similar vibes to M. Night Shyamalan’s “Signs” from 20 years earlier. The feeling of isolation and terror is felt throughout the film leaving you tense not knowing what happens next. Anytime a quiet moment with a character happens, something else suddenly appears to jump you without warning. It’s a classic horror movie device used since the days of Val Lewton that’s fortunately used sporadically compared to recent horror films. As a filmmaker, Peele once again proves to be an expert in intricate storytelling.
While this film does start slow, it succeeds in building suspense and terror towards the exciting climax. But most of all, it’s treated as a character piece with different personalities mesh to create a suitably realistic viewpoint on the situation. We follow these people through the horror and wanted to see them come out of it alive. As for the climax, though satisfying, it drags a bit too long and could’ve been trimmed by a couple of minutes.
One part you’ll probably end up scratching your head about is the subplot involving Park and flashbacks on the set of a 1990s sitcom that went horribly wrong. Though the sequence is terrifying, it’ll leave some viewers confused about what it has to do with the main UFO plot. For the more open-minded audience, you can likely connect the dots and interpret it any way you see fit.
All the main actors help to drive the story in some good performances. Kaluuya and Palmer both act as surrogates for the audience, and they are likable enough to carry the film. Yuen also handles his subplot with great ease as well as his showmanship during one standout scene. Perea is a fine comic relief, while Wincott is interesting to watch when he plays his role like he’s Robert Shaw’s Quint from Jaws.
While not as audience-friendly as other alien invasion films, like “Independence Day,” “Nope” is Peele once more subverting a genre film with his originality. Such palpable suspense and horror throughout are enough to make it very worthwhile for genre fans alike. After seeing this film, you’ll never look at a cloudy sky the same way again.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for language throughout and some violence/bloody images)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)
