Put Nope in Your Maybe Pile

Jordan Peele’s latest sci-fi horror is both pretty and puzzling

OJ%28Daniel+Kaluuya%29+riding+his+horse+down+a+trail+of+inflatable+tube+men%2C+distracting+the+creature+that+remains+above.

2022 Universal Studios

OJ(Daniel Kaluuya) riding his horse down a trail of inflatable tube men, distracting the creature that remains above.

Cameran Martinez, Staff Writer

Jordan Peele’s Nope, which was released on July 22 and has since passed over $100 million at the domestic box office, is now available to buy on Amazon, iTunes, and… you know, actual stores. Like his previous hits Get Out and Us,  Nope was written, directed, and co-produced by Peele under his Monkeypaws Productions imprint.  Yet with Nope, Peele ventures into sci-fi territory with a long, slow-paced film that can be equal parts frustrating and fascinating. Ultimately, the superb acting by the leads and incredible visuals the film offers make it a must-see for anyone who didn’t catch it in theatres.

The two main characters of the movie, Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) and OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) play two siblings that inherited their family’s company, Haywood’s Hollywood Horses. On their secluded and dry California ranch, something mysterious and unknown is in the sky and the two siblings, as well as Jupe (Steven Yeun), the owner of a nearby theme park, want to try and profit off it.

Unlike some other horror movies where there is not much importance placed on creating interesting characters, Jordan Peele creates this amazing chemistry between Emerald and OJ, where we get to see their personalities and character shine through. Peele also makes this movie insanely eccentric and tense while simultaneously making us laugh. This movie works so well because we can relate to these lovable characters and when we see what kind of scary situation they’re put in, it makes it that much more nerve-racking. One part that they use while editing the film is using chapter names: Ghost, Clover, Gordy, Lucky, and Jean Jacket to refer to the animal names in this film. Another huge element that goes into the film is the sound. They use a ticking sound to signify when this monster comes and they cut sound leaving for that classic suspenseful feel of any good horror movie. But, this movie leaves some feeling confused and their questions unanswered. Many are left to interpret the meaning and the main theme or plot is not solid or clear. For fans of Jordan Peele, expectations for his third movie were very high seeing as his previous works got such good feedback. Some people were disappointed by this even though the budget for this film was much more than his previous movies.

Despite how this movie can be confusing at times, I heavily recommend this movie more than I don’t. Nope provides you feeling in a state of awe at the strangeness of this creature and leaves you wanting more. This movie can be considered sci-fi, thriller, and horror all at once. It’s an incredibly versatile film and can be enjoyed by many.