NOPE (2022) Review: Peele Sets the Bar Sky-High!

Nope has been one of my most anticipated films of the year. Having created two smash-hit horror films, including Get Out and Us, Jordan Peele has already become a modern horror genius in just a few short years. Where Get Out and Us (2019) decided to show the horror side of Peele’s filmmaking, Nope is a slight venture off into a new direction to take on the sci-fi genre. As we all expected, this movie is yet another fantastic addition to Peele’s filmography that is impossible to look away from.

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OJ and Emerald Haywood live on a horse ranch in California, raising horses that appear in Hollywood films and commercials. When it becomes apparent that Hollywood is headed in a different direction OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) stumble upon an opportunity unlike any other. A “UFO” seems to be watching them daily, resulting in weather changes and animal outbursts. In hopes to get the “money shot” of this happening, OJ and Emerald quickly discover that what seemed to be a simple plan will alter everything they know about reality.

Jordan Peele does what I haven’t seen in a sci-fi movie in a while. He seamlessly combines these elements with terrifying suspense and images that create a nightmare scarier than demons, ghosts, and zombies (just to name a few). Combining the sound editing and cinematography, I was looking with ease just to be shaking my head afterwards saying “NOPE,” just as the characters hilariously do several times in the film.

Jordan Peele builds a larger cinematic scope to examine a theme he has not yet touched on: trying to tame or control that which is wild. We humans have such an obsession with creating order out of chaos, even if the chaos is not ours to change. Steven Yeun delivers a fantastic performance that examines just this, making his character arc one of the most thought-provoking in the film. Along with Kaluuya and Palmer, this cast nailed every scene.

Nope has elements of surprise that slowly unravels as the film progresses rather than a twist at the end. You are witnessing and learning along with the characters, and understanding what is happening as the film progresses makes it that much more terrifying. Peele never feels the need to hook his audience with twists because his storytelling is great enough to tell unique stories his way. Go see Nope in theaters because this one will definitely be one of the best this year.

‘Nope (2022)’ Rating – 4/5

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