Writer/Director Jordan Peele mastered comedy in his previous TV work, but became one of Hollywood’s directors to watch with his breakout success, Get Out. In his first effort, he already proved he had an amazing formula for creating a horrific movie with a fantastic story, but also had an ever-present theme that complemented the plot. His second film, Us, leaned more into the high-concept horror reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, but didn’t quite stick the landing when it was all explained. With the meme-titled “Nope” he returns to high-concept thrills.
Nope focuses on brother and sister, OJ and Emerald Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer). Together, they run a generations-spanning family business where they train horses to be used in movies. The film begins with some unexplainable things happening near their ranch, and in turn, their horses start disappearing.
Meanwhile, their closest neighbor is a former child star and current reality TV star (Steven Yeun), who is always looking to make a buck. His theme park ranch is moderately successful, but he has noticed the changes in the valley as well and hopes his stage show might be improved because of it.
It’s almost impossible not to define a thriller that is built on a grander concept or twist as Shyamalan-esque. And yes, that exact term may give many a sour taste. His films are either bullseye thrillers or miss the mark entirely. Though, one element that Peele adds to is thrillers is the depth of his themes on top of the twists. Nope veers closest to Shyamalan than his other productions. It’s suspenseful for a great majority of the movie, but never quite scary at any point. Also, the suspenseful aspects will lessen with any rewatch, but the experience of watching interaction between the characters will only improve.
Daniel Kaluuya plays more of a muted character. He’s someone who’s always relied on his dad to take care of any interaction. While he may often feel out of place outside of training his horses, he is willing to do what he can to save his family’s ranch and business. Keke Palmer is a delight and brings the necessary charisma needed here. These two actors establish a wonderfully conflicted view of sibling life. The first half of the movie dwells on these two in quieter moments and slowly lets us get comfortable in a valley that soon becomes claustrophic.
Unfortunately, outside of their big picture goals, there’s no real arc that is reached. The second half of Nope is where viewers will be sold or completely let down. It delves more into “action” as we see what’s really going on. Without saying much, the concept is horrifying, but the theme gets in the way and creates far more plotholes than needed.
Personally, I really enjoyed when the threat becomes a constant presence. While I may not have cared as much for certain character motivations, knowing the consequences made the experience thrilling. I only wish I cared more for the characters well-being at the end.
Essentially, this is a near Lovecraftian type story, with the storytelling techniques of Shyamalan, but with strong Spielberg vibes. The score by Michael Abels fits perfectly. The cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema captures the beauty of a dead valley. There were several perfect shots within the movie in its quieter moments as well. And while, it’s not a scary movie per se, there are some instant classic horror scenes.
I’ve been purposely vague about what happens in Nope. It’s the type of experience that deserves some secrecy. The threat feels unique and the theme may mean different things to different viewers. There are several flaws to be sure. It’s 20 minutes too long and the ending isn’t satisfying, but the positives outweigh the negatives. All in all, Nope is a mixed experience, but I’m excited to see it again to see if it can age well. B-
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