The modern-day Alfred Hitchcock is back: famed director Jordan Peele returns to theatres this weekend with Nope. This strange hybrid of several genres comes up short of his previous movies, now esteemed as horror masterpieces. But it’s still a suspenseful sci-fi flick that's two hours of spine-tingling, white-knuckle thrills.
Peele is known for his horror hits Get Out and Us, both which were big hits with audiences. But those were small scale stories. This is his first time making a real blockbuster, and it’s a great summer, adult movie.
Nope truly belongs on the big screen. The expansive and grand feeling add to the cinematic flair, boasting great cinematography, lighting, dialogue and an incredible sound design (becoming a character in its own right.)
What feels weaker is the thematic backbone is subtler than his previous works. How do you live in harmony with mother nature - or her predators? Are monsters meant to be tamed in the first place? These are the fascinating questions that Nope asks, but doesn’t come outright to do so.
All of the productions design and execution is fascinating, and even though the story is overlong, most of it is intriguing. Having a slow start before the alien finale makes it, in some ways, feel like a spooky version of summer 1975’s blockbuster Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
This has a lot of the same elements: there’s a mystery in the desert as there’s something hiding in the mountains surrounding a ranch owned by siblings Otis Haywood Jr. (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) and they’re determined get video evidence.
It's indescribably hard not sharing the images, trailer clips, or explaining pivotal details about the movie to justify my critique without spoiling major elements of the story. I’d like to be more descriptive, but there’s an unbreakable rule in reviewing film I must follow: don’t spoil the surprise. And there are too many surprises I could potentially spoil.
As hinted, there are some really effective Hitchcock-esque techniques at play in Nope. Through the action we see blood, we see the impacts of monsters, and we see the danger - but Peele also knows our imagination has the ability to create horror only we know the true impact of.
The ensemble is strong across the board, though a major side character and subplot featuring Steven Yeun feels disjointed. He plays a pivotal role in one scene, but it otherwise doesn’t connect to the rest of the story as seamlessly as it should.
Whereas Get Out and Us were single character journeys facing a scary threat, Nope is about communities facing various evils: both human and supernatural. It’s ultimately about the monsters we discover - and how we confront them.
Though if you, like myself, are the kind of person who doesn’t like horror movies because they push you too far into uncomfortable fear, Peele continues to be a filmmakers that finds suspense and surprise that toes the line just enough.
If you’re on the edge, I can’t recommend his 2017 breakout hit Get Out enough. If you can withstand that, you’ll be fine seeing this newest effort in theatres. And you’ll likely walk out with a smile and, while slightly confused about why, say a resounding "Yes."
Nope
8 out of 10
14A, 2hrs 11mins. Sci-Fi Horror Mystery Drama.
Written and Directed by Jordan Peele.
Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott and Steven Yeun.
Now Playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, 5 Drive-In, Cineplex Winston Churchill and Cineplex Oakville & VIP. Also in IMAX.
