Nope (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
After enormous success with Get Out followed by Us, writer/director Jordan Peele tackles a sci-fi/Western/horror movie set in Southern California's picturesque Agua Dulce. Following the freak death of their father (Keith David) after he was struck by a quarter falling from the sky, siblings Otis Haywood Jr., or "OJ" (effectively taciturn Daniel Kaluuya) & Emerald "Em" Haywood (gregarious Keke Palmer) have taken over the day-to-day operations at Haywood's Hollywood Horses.
Their family company provides equine talent for film & TV productions; most people don't know that the 1st film ever made – 1878's The Horse in Motion – featured an unidentified black jockey {and Haywood ancestor}. Due to dire finances, OJ has been forced to sell some of their horses to Ricky "Jupe" Park (Steven Yeun), a former child actor who survived a terrifying on-set incident involving an unhinged chimpanzee and, now runs a Wild West theme park near Haywood's ranch. When the siblings discover that their vast premises have attracted a menacing UFO which darts in & out of the clouds {sending their spooked horses bolting for the hills} ... they get the idea that capturing said flying object on film could prove lucrative for them.
To that, they head to an electronics store where Geek Squad-like techie Angel (Brandon Perea) sells them the gear needed to capture such a sighting. When that plan goes awry, they turn to jaded cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott) in hopes that HE'LL be able to capture the UFO on film. Coinciding to this storyline is that of the mysterious disappearance of an entire audience at Jupe's nearby Wild West theme park. Where have all the horses gone? And where have all the humans gone? It's up to OJ, Em, Angel & Antlers to uncover the grisly truth of the UFO & stay alive en route to getting that filmed footage. But is it all worth it?
'Nope' doesn't quite have the cultural impact of his other films, but it's a masterfully constructed, highly entertaining ride. Each plot puzzle piece is perfectly in place by the end of the film. And I also enjoyed trying to piece together Peele's themes of: humans attempting to tame/control other species; and how trying to capture fleeting moments of ghastly spectacle on film/social media for entertainment & profit shows the breakdown of today's humanity. The visceral subplot about Gordy the chimp that snapped & went on a bloody rampage on the set of a 1990s TV sitcom doesn't SEEM to belong with the main UFO plot, and yet, upon reflection, it definitely gels. As for the title "Nope", I love that it can stand for both 'Not of Planet Earth', and also "Hellll, naw!" when facing danger.
Peele's skills as a filmmaker are some of the best around. His themes, tone, slow-burn pacing, clever dialogue, camera placement, choice in cinematographer {Hoyte van Hoytema}, shocking use of sound, & employment of Michael Abel's pulsating music combine to create a wonderfully cinematic experience. As of August 1st, I can't name a better use of cinematography + music in a film this year. We, the audience, are often kept off-balance as morsels of mystery are sparingly doled out, then craftily answered, only to be replaced by new conundrums. Details that seem insignificant could mean something important later. And I loved how darkly funny this movie is, as well. While Peele ratchets up the tension {and even some gore}, there is more than enough room for laughs both large & small to break said tension.
I admire what Daniel Kaluuya was doing, here. He is stoic & may "seem" one-note to a fault, but there are a million moments of nuance in his eyes, body language, what he chooses to say & how he says it. I also loved Keke Palmer. Em "could" have been an annoying character, but I found her free-spirited chattiness to be pretty entertaining. The yin & yang of these siblings aids the film. And I got a kick out of both Brandon Perea's wide-eyed I.T. tech & Michael Wincott's nutty cameraman.
Now, the movie is a tad long and, while I was engrossed in the action-filled climax, there is something a bit too chaotic, a touch too incongruous & somewhat underwhelming about the final 10 minutes or so; can't put my finger on it. The movie ends HOW I wanted it to end, but there's just ... something ... on this 1st watch. That may clear-up with subsequent viewings -- time will tell. But I digress. Part Shyamalan's unnerving Signs, part Spielberg's dread-filled Jaws, & part Spielberg's grotesque War of the Worlds, 'Nope' gave me the burst of modern relevance-fused-with-epic Blockbuster flair that I didn't know I needed this summer.
Their family company provides equine talent for film & TV productions; most people don't know that the 1st film ever made – 1878's The Horse in Motion – featured an unidentified black jockey {and Haywood ancestor}. Due to dire finances, OJ has been forced to sell some of their horses to Ricky "Jupe" Park (Steven Yeun), a former child actor who survived a terrifying on-set incident involving an unhinged chimpanzee and, now runs a Wild West theme park near Haywood's ranch. When the siblings discover that their vast premises have attracted a menacing UFO which darts in & out of the clouds {sending their spooked horses bolting for the hills} ... they get the idea that capturing said flying object on film could prove lucrative for them.
To that, they head to an electronics store where Geek Squad-like techie Angel (Brandon Perea) sells them the gear needed to capture such a sighting. When that plan goes awry, they turn to jaded cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott) in hopes that HE'LL be able to capture the UFO on film. Coinciding to this storyline is that of the mysterious disappearance of an entire audience at Jupe's nearby Wild West theme park. Where have all the horses gone? And where have all the humans gone? It's up to OJ, Em, Angel & Antlers to uncover the grisly truth of the UFO & stay alive en route to getting that filmed footage. But is it all worth it?
'Nope' doesn't quite have the cultural impact of his other films, but it's a masterfully constructed, highly entertaining ride. Each plot puzzle piece is perfectly in place by the end of the film. And I also enjoyed trying to piece together Peele's themes of: humans attempting to tame/control other species; and how trying to capture fleeting moments of ghastly spectacle on film/social media for entertainment & profit shows the breakdown of today's humanity. The visceral subplot about Gordy the chimp that snapped & went on a bloody rampage on the set of a 1990s TV sitcom doesn't SEEM to belong with the main UFO plot, and yet, upon reflection, it definitely gels. As for the title "Nope", I love that it can stand for both 'Not of Planet Earth', and also "Hellll, naw!" when facing danger.
Peele's skills as a filmmaker are some of the best around. His themes, tone, slow-burn pacing, clever dialogue, camera placement, choice in cinematographer {Hoyte van Hoytema}, shocking use of sound, & employment of Michael Abel's pulsating music combine to create a wonderfully cinematic experience. As of August 1st, I can't name a better use of cinematography + music in a film this year. We, the audience, are often kept off-balance as morsels of mystery are sparingly doled out, then craftily answered, only to be replaced by new conundrums. Details that seem insignificant could mean something important later. And I loved how darkly funny this movie is, as well. While Peele ratchets up the tension {and even some gore}, there is more than enough room for laughs both large & small to break said tension.
I admire what Daniel Kaluuya was doing, here. He is stoic & may "seem" one-note to a fault, but there are a million moments of nuance in his eyes, body language, what he chooses to say & how he says it. I also loved Keke Palmer. Em "could" have been an annoying character, but I found her free-spirited chattiness to be pretty entertaining. The yin & yang of these siblings aids the film. And I got a kick out of both Brandon Perea's wide-eyed I.T. tech & Michael Wincott's nutty cameraman.
Now, the movie is a tad long and, while I was engrossed in the action-filled climax, there is something a bit too chaotic, a touch too incongruous & somewhat underwhelming about the final 10 minutes or so; can't put my finger on it. The movie ends HOW I wanted it to end, but there's just ... something ... on this 1st watch. That may clear-up with subsequent viewings -- time will tell. But I digress. Part Shyamalan's unnerving Signs, part Spielberg's dread-filled Jaws, & part Spielberg's grotesque War of the Worlds, 'Nope' gave me the burst of modern relevance-fused-with-epic Blockbuster flair that I didn't know I needed this summer.