If you are a fan of Jordan Peele’s films, you’ll know that his recipe for horror is effective and riveting, using elements of mystery and Checkhov’s gun to keep viewers entertained. Divided into five chapters – “Ghost”, “Clover”, “Gordy”, “Lucky”, and “Jean Jacket” – this film emphasizes the connection between man and animal…and perhaps something else in between.
The heart of this film are the two siblings – OJ and Em, played by Daniel Kaluuya (whose breakout role was in the film Get Out, also directed by Peele) and Keke Palmer. Things start to fall apart for the family of horse-wranglers when their father dies from a nickel through the eye, which seems to have fallen from the sky.
After a string of strange occurrences, the siblings noticed a UFO lurking between the clouds. Desperate for fame and wealth, they became obsessed with capturing the UFO on camera, even if it meant endangering their lives.
Just like Peele’s previous works, Nope succeeds as a horror film because it does not rely on jump scares or spooky ghosts going “peek-a-boo!” from every corner. In fact, most of the horror in Peele’s films are rather grounded, which makes it more menacing because, hey, it could happen to anyone – you, me, your neighbour next door. There is also a touch of societal issue being echoed here, where everything needs to be captured on film or “it didn’t happen”.
With a runtime of 120 minutes, the pacing is smart – tight during the climaxes, and still leaves room to breathe as we prepare to embrace the impact. The use of Chekhov’s gun, where every detail has a payoff, will leave you feeling impressed with the writing and keeps the storyline cohesive.
And why is the movie called Nope? Probably an acronym for “Not of Planet Earth.” Ha!
*Cover image via Universal Pictures
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