Hi all!

Today I am reviewing the long-awaited, new release from Jordan Peele: Nope. It follows two siblings running a California horse ranch, who discover something wonderful and sinister in the skies above. At the same time, the owner of an adjacent theme park, tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon. Without further ado, here are my thoughts!

Spoilers ahead!

WHAT WORKED:

Wow! How do I even begin to express how much I enjoyed Nope? Jordan Peele continues to outdo himself. The message in the story is abundantly clear: humans throughout history continue to try and tame predators for their own entertainment. The film references a real-life event, where a woman named Charla Nash, was attacked by a chimpanzee; left severely disfigured. She was interviewed on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2009. You can check that out here. It also touches on Siegfried & Roy, matadors being gored by their bulls and horses kicking actors during filming. At the same time, the movie interweaves sci-fi elements, with a killer flying saucer. It may seem like a strange combination but it really worked. I loved that the extraterrestrial creature was the ship itself. It too, was being exploited by a human that had survived his own experience with a chimp attack. It poro that mankind never learns. We take what is not ours, getting upset when something that wasn’t designed for us, retaliates. There are many layers to unpack. I also want to add the casting was excellent. Keke Palmer stole the show, but Steven Yuen, Daniel Kaluuya and Brandon Perea held their own. Finally, I want to stress this movie legitimately scared me. The scene where Gordy massacred everybody on set, was truly horrifying. The close-up of his face, as he inched towards a young Jupe, had me holding my breath. I felt the scares were very effective. There was symbolism everywhere you looked. I urge you to see it for yourself and truly pay attention. Try to count how many times Nope is actually said! 

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

My only criticism is the middle part dragged a bit. There were a few scenes that could have been edited out, as they didn’t add much to the story. Other than that, it was perfection!

OVERALL STAR RATING: 

I gave it 5/5 stars. I cannot stop thinking about it. I believe it’s one of the best horror films I’ve seen this year. 

Thank you so much for reading! Let me know if you’ve watched Nope.

Peace & Love xoxo