Nope - Review

 

There is arguably no one in modern cinema who’s name alone can get butts in seats other than Jordan Peele (“Get Out,” “Us”). It might seem like an exaggeration, but people rarely show up for Marvel movies for the directors, and even sure things like Spielberg, James Gunn, or Ridley Scott all had acclaimed movies underperform in the last year. The secrecy surrounding his latest film also likely helps a great deal as, even compared to “Get Out” and “Us”, many who’ve seen the film’s marketing are seeing it simply to answer the question: “What the hell is going on?”

Daniel Kaluuya (“Get Out,” “Judas and the Black Messiah”) and Keke Palmer (“Hustlers,” “Akeelah and the Bee”) bother star as siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood. They run a horse training ranch for Hollywood productions in the Agua Dulce gulch in California and one night, while out with one of the horses, OJ swears he sees something flying around in the sky.

That’s all the plot details that’ll be recapped here, and even that might be slightly too much info to give. Unlike Shyamalan movies or the likes of “Avengers: Endgame”, this isn’t about spoiling a twist or a big reveal. Peele’s proven himself as a master of suspense, of the slow, earned reveal. His films feel like tricks; its no mistake that when the first trailer for “Nope” was released, most seemed suspicious of how much it showed and how much Peele might be messing with audiences.

Regardless of its content, “Nope” is Peele’s most gorgeously shot film yet. Working with cinematographer Hoye van Hoytema (“Dunkirk,” “Tenet”), these wide expanses and inky blue nighttime sequences are shot with such clarity and openness that it almost feels like an expansive documentary. Not only are these shots gorgeous, but they also provide the perfect canvas for the film’s big spectacles to play. It’s a gorgeous display of naturalistic beauty juxtaposed against otherworldly horrors. Some of these sequences are the stuff of nightmares, but not coherent ones, instead recalling the nightmares that are the scariest because they’re made of shapeshifting dream imagery and the horror comes from not being able to decipher what you’re looking at quickly enough.

Michael Abels (“Get Out,” “Us”) returns to score Peele’s latest, and his music is as infectious as always. Building constantly with calming strings to crescendos filled with choral chants and horns, it’s a score that pays just as much tribute to the alien movies of Spielberg as the film itself does. More so than ever before though, Peele and his crew have nailed the sound design and mixing here. Effects and music blend together in such effective, haunting ways, and it mixes the entire film together to be a true spectacle in every sense of the word.

Kaluuya turns in a performance here just as good as his prior films, although much more understated. It’s likely no accident that his character trains horses for a living, as much of the emotional weight he pulls into the film feels like that of a John Wayne-era cowboy: calm, collected, plotting, with a steely-eyed gaze only strengthened by his legendarily beautiful eyes. Palmer, meanwhile, is the film’s absolute standout. What begins as a character with a clearly comedic edge instead becomes one of intense emotional resolve. She’s a delight the entire time, finally getting a role deserving of her long career in the industry.

Steven Yeun (“Minari,” “Okja”) also stars and turns in a performance made of far more hubris and pain than one might initially expect. His character is clearly a huge piece of the puzzle of what Peele is trying to say, and Yeun fits in perfectly. Brandon Perea (“The OA,” “Doom Patrol”) is another standout as Angel, an electronic store technician who helps OJ and Emerald out. He, like Palmer, beings more comedically, but grows over the course of the film to easily hold his own against out sibling protagonists. Michael Wincott (“The Crow,” “Strange Days”) rounds out the cast as a grizzled Hollywood cinematographer and his deep voice and bravado provide the perfect antithesis to these young bucks trying to get the money shot.

Wincott’s role is one that provides the perfect segue to one of the film’s best and most selective elements. Peele has written a film that is a clear love letter to the people working behind the scenes in the world of filmmaking. Animal trainers, electricians, cinematographers, the people who don’t get the time in the spotlight: the crew. That also ties into the themes of the film and, without giving too much away, let’s just say that every time Peele has referred to this as a “spectacle” in interview, he’s chosen his words very carefully.

Despite the clear and obvious amount of talent on screen, its clear that “Nope” is a very different film compared to Peele’s previous works and that will likely lead to a more varied reaction from audiences. Some of the particular shots and moments are deeply upsetting in an almost shocking way, and there’s a subplot that will likely confuse and disturb most general audience members. These aren’t criticisms so much, as these elements are still excellently put together, but it does mean that this will likely be Peele’s most divisive movie yet.

For this critic, at least, “Nope” represents Peele continuing to barrel through Hollywood and continuing to prove he’s one of the best directors and writers working today. After nailing micro and mid-budget films, he’s returned in the height of summer to prove that he can nail a big, thrilling, scary blockbuster spectacle like the best of them, without sacrificing an inch of emotion, allegory, fantastic performances and music, and gorgeous cinematography. To state something many others have likely already said, say yes to “Nope”. 5/5