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| A Cloud? |
A Review of Nope by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical
Year: 2022
MPAA Rating, R
CNS Rating, L
Reel Rating, Four Reels
Nope
is the 3rd film from comedian turned serious director Jordan Peele,
who has now established himself as one of the premiere cerebral horror artists
of his generation. His first film, Get Out, finally jolted the genre out
of its torture porn and jump scare obsession. This was my most anticipated film
of the year, partially because of Peele and partially because it was an alien
themed movie. I knew a twist had to be coming and was not disappointed. This
was a fun and fantastic thriller, one of the most pleasing cinematic experiences
of the year.
OJ
(Peele regular Daniel Kaluuya) is part of dying breed of horse wranglers for
Hollywood movies. His father recently died under mysterious circumstances,
leaving the family business in uncertain waters. His only regular client is the
eccentric theme park owner next door, who is buying his older horses at an alarming
rate. As the months wear on, OJ notices odd things happening at the ranch: strange
power outages, weird noises, and animals acting erratic. Suddenly, he sees the culprit:
a flying saucer. Determined that getting “the Oprah shot” will solve his
financial woes, he teams up with his sister, a Fry’s tech wizard, and renowned
cinematographer to capture the aliens on film. What he will capture is more
wonderful and terrifying than anyone could imagine.
Nope
is a masterpiece of summer blockbuster entertainment, except without the “buster”
part. Peele is a master of plot pacing, leaving little breadcrumbs the
audience knows will be important later but aren’t sure why. Slowly, the puzzle pieces
come together. Some characters get it first, others later, the audience
somewhere in the middle. Peele also knows how to create visual and auditory
suspense. Whenever the ship is near, electronics slow down and stop, like the
shark fin over the water in Jaws. The craft acts in strange ways that
only become clear late in the story, creating a fantastic payoff. Purely on its
merits of structure, Nope is probably the best film of the year so far.
Early
in the film, one of OJ’s horses is being used in a commercial. When an actor
disobeys a clear order and the horses kicks over the makeup set, they
immediately fire both animal and trainer, opting for a CGI stand-in. It’s a
good metaphor for society’s reliance on technology, refusing to work with
organic precepts, instead using easy technological exploits. Such methods, however,
are useless against the alien foe, which incapacitates all electronic devices. OJ,
with his knowledge and wisdom of animals, is the only one capable of dealing
with the threat and bringing his family (and perhaps the whole world) to
safety. It’s a potent reminder that, however disconnected we may be, humans live
in a real world that operates with natural laws we ignore at our peril.
I’m
desperately resisting spoilers in this review, although the keen reader might
find my own breadcrumbs to the truth. Like many other great horror films, Nope
leaves plenty of questions along with its answers, not necessarily to invite a
sequel but allow space in the viewers’ imagination for speculation. This movie
was so, so much fun, and I can’t wait to see it again.
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