Nope review – More like yep

You have to be very careful with metaphors in movies. Make it too subtle and audiences won’t pick up on it. Make it too obvious and they label the whole enterprise pretentious (Don’t blame me for this preamble, I’m reviewing a Jordan Peele movie). And, let’s be clear, authorial intent can also dictate that there is no metaphor, and you’re watching solely for the spectacle. Just ask any Fast & Furious fan.

Here’s where Jordan Peele props himself up and lays claim to being one of the most interesting and ambitious directors working today. It’s difficult to think of someone else creating such unique material while also weaving his messaging throughout high-concept narratives in a full range of ways. For every clear-cut message like in Get Out, you have the sinister symbolism of Us. Also helping in this regard is the fact that Peele’s movies are very good, and Nope marks a one-two-three knockout for the filmmaker’s horror outings. Even though it may at times get distracted with its own ideas, Peele has delivered unto us another gorgeous and well-executed production with Nope.

Otis “OJ” Haywood Jr. (played by Daniel Kaluuya) enjoys the simple life of training horses for film and TV productions with his dad (Keith David) on their California ranch. This until Haywood Sr. is killed one day in very mysterious circumstances. While dealing with the threat of the ranch going out of business, and with a nearby theme park owner (Steven Yeun) interested in buying it from him, OJ and his estranged sister Em (Keke Palmer) have their socks blown off by the discovery that an unidentified flying object is laying low in the clouds above them. With the help of an electronics store assistant named Angel (Brandon Perea), OJ and Em set out to grab footage of their discovery for fame and fortune. But as they’re out to get this flying object, the Haywood siblings discover there’s more to it, and it may actually be out to get them.

Nope features one of the most genius premises I’ve seen in a while. It’s one that subverts the saucer-standard UFO story in favour of a more nuanced and, dare I say, wild take – and there are many takes on UFOs already out there. It’s somewhat shocking we haven’t seen this done yet. The premise is also the simplest we have yet seen from writer and director Peele, and from that solid foundation, he builds upon it and delivers a unique narrative. One that honestly should net him another Best Original Screenplay Oscar, or at least a nomination.

Peele is also working hard to subvert a few horror tropes. The Haywoods trying to monetise the thing flying over their ranch isn’t the kind of character motivation you expect to see from movie heroes. You’d also expect a character like Keke Palmer’s Em, a Vape-smoking Hollywood wannabe disillusioned with her family life, to be at the bottom of a horror movie’s body pile (Nope walks a fine line between horror and sci-fi thriller, for the record). What saves Em, though, is the camaraderie with her brother, while the Haywoods are propelled to likeability thanks to strong character work.

The cast is well-rounded too. Kaluuya shines with his few words and reactions to the situation (possibly the most realistic of any horror movie). Meanwhile, Palmer’s demeanour serves as a good contrast, and never becomes too arrogant.

Nope is also notably gorgeous. Shot on IMAX cameras and witnessed on an IMAX screen, viewers are treated to a vast and empty landscape, a postcard shot of the American West brought to life by the sound of neighing horses and a night sky that is cool, crisp and curious. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, a regular collaborator with Christopher Nolan, creates a deep-rooted atmosphere defined by isolation, and enriched by the intermittent sounds of composer Michael Abel’s score. Nope’s soundtrack is very effective in that there’s not much to it, right up until the final act where it joins the spectacle in a complete genre one-eighty. The sound design, most notably that related to the UFO, is the cherry on top of this unnerving cake.

If you haven’t seen Nope, the message that Peele is striving to deliver can’t really be discussed. That said, it is frequently telegraphed throughout the film by way of title cards, props, and an extended flashback. That flashback is honestly where Nope runs the risk of losing its audience. While the intention and meaning behind it is made clear in the film’s greater context, it feels like an unnecessary add-on that doesn’t quite prove its overall utility. However, it doesn’t waste our time, and the message still comes through clear. Peele proves he’s an expert when it comes to connecting plot devices and elements. Everything ties in neatly, though not all at once. The payoff is seeing everything unfold.

Nope is Jordan Peele’s most ambitious project in scope, but not in abstraction (that honour still goes to Us). This is a film anyone can get behind for delivering suspenseful and chilling moments, a few gruesome horror scenes (one in particular has stayed with me), and unique and interesting characters. There is no sacrifice of spectacle in the name of intellectual metaphor here, which highlights Peele’s mastery even more despite unnecessary attempts to go the extra mile at times. Nope succeeds in what it sets out to do, to capture “truth” as filmmakers might say.