"Nope" Is Tremendous
A spoiler-free review for one of the best movies I've seen in a long time
Just a few years back, I tried to see every movie I could, no matter how good or bad it appeared to be. I used to review all of them on my first blog, which now has a new URL because I am no longer paying for it. This took me to some truly horrific abominations (see: “Cats”) as well as some under-appreciated gems (see: “Thoroughbreds”) I likely would have missed if not for my goal of reviewing them.
COVID really took the wind out of my sails, and thus, the WC Reviews era has mostly ceased. But, this week I saw a movie that was so damn good, and that has not left my brain since seeing it two days ago. So, I’m here, reviewing a movie again. Please hold your applause.
Let’s talk about “Nope.”
“Nope” is the newest from Jordan Peele (“Get Out,” “Us”), who wrote, directed and produced it. The film stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea and Steven Yeun, and is about a brother (Kaluuya) and sister (Palmer) who discover a UFO in the sky above their home, so they decide to try and film it to make money and save their family’s business.
That premise is really just scratching the surface of everything that “Nope” ultimately gets into, as in typical Peele fashion, there is so much to dive into throughout the movie’s 130-minute runtime.
Let’s start with the performances: All of the lead stars are excellent. Kaluuya and Palmer are tremendous as OJ and Emerald, both bringing very different performances to the table. Kaluuya is much more subdued, but he is magnificent as OJ. He remains one of the greatest eye actors the world has ever seen, and he is able to show a lot with extremely little.
Palmer, on the other hand, absolutely kills it as the charismatic, energetic Emerald. Her performance blends elements of comedy well with the drama and terror that ensues, and she was a delight to watch. Perea’s role as Angel took a little for me to warm up to, but I ultimately found him a welcome addition to the film.
Maybe my favorite performance, though, came from Yeun. His screen time is sparse, but once you find out more about his character’s backstory, you really feel everything that his character is battling. The character of Jupe, in general, is perfect. It serves as a metaphor to larger themes of greed and media, while also just being brilliantly written for the film itself.
Peele’s last two movies had both been visually great, but bringing in Hoyte Van Hoytema (director of photography for “Dunkirk,” “Interstellar,” “Her”) on cinematography makes “Nope” a complete visual feast. I adore the long panning shots over the sky as well as the focus on character expressions. All of it is just fantastic.
This had a much larger budget than “Get Out” or “Us,” and it’s clear why. The effects on the UFO are terrific, and I loved the design of it in full form. The CGI effects on Gordy are also very good. I don’t want to spoil much about Gordy, I’ll just say that his scenes are among the most jaw-dropping I have seen in a long, long time, and they serve a purpose as a story builder, character developer and another way to depict Peele’s themes.
All of what is above here is really just a buildup to say that Jordan Peele is a mastermind writer and director. The way he blends genres in “Nope” — there are elements of horror, comedy, science fiction, action and drama throughout — without it feeling too crowded is nothing short of brilliance.
With “Get Out” and “Us,” the deeper meanings felt more obvious for the audience to catch. Those movies are both great in their own right, but I do love that “Nope” works both as a story in itself and as a movie that has plenty to say. The ideas of exploitation in the movie/TV industry, of people risking their livelihoods to gain money or notoriety and of racial inequality in the way media gives out recognition, it’s all there, and I’m sure that’s not all of it. This is a movie that, like “Get Out,” begs for a rewatch and further analysis, but doesn’t sacrifice the first-viewing quality in the process.
No spoilers, but I wanted to generally say what some of my favorite scenes in the movie are for those who have seen it:
Jupe’s big show
OJ stuck in his car
Jupe and Emerald yelling from very far away
The “look at me” moment between OJ and Emerald
THAT Gordy scene. You know which one.
As for flaws, I have a few minor ones. The character of Antlers Holst, played by Michael Wincott, was a tad over the top for me to the point where he didn’t feel like a real person. The same goes for a biker later on in the movie.
Besides two characters and a slightly slow start, “Nope” is, truly, a big-budget horror movie done almost completely right. The writing and direction are excellent, Kaluuya, Palmer and Yeun are perfect in their roles and the movie managed to surprise me over and over and over again.
To put this much stuff into a single film is baffling. For all of it to work this well is another thing entirely, and I think Peele accomplished exactly that. There will certainly be naysayers because don’t get me wrong: This movie is extremely weird and likely not for everyone.
But for my two cents, “Nope” is everything I wanted it to be and more. It’s movies like this that made me want to start reviewing them in the first place.
Rating: 9.5/10
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