Nope (2022) Review

 "Nope."
-OJ Haywood



After the mysterious death of their father, OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em Haywood (Keke Palmer) inherit his horse ranch.  OJ struggles to keep the business afloat and to make matters worse, something strange is happening in their valley and some of their horses have gone missing.

Spoilers below!  This is a movie that you will want to see before reading any reviews.  Not everything was spoiled by the trailer, so read beyond this point at your own peril.


What Works:

Nope is an extremely ambitious movie from a very talented director.  Jordan Peele really got to make true spectacle here.  There is a lot going on with this film and I suspect it will take multiple viewings to really piece it all together.  I like movies that make you think and Nope does that well.

I think my favorite parts of the movie are the scenes with Gordy the chimpanzee (Terry Notary).  The movie opens with Gordy and doesn't fully put the scene in context until much later on.  The stuff with him is absolutely terrifying.  It doesn't really seem to tie into to the larger plot much, but it fits with the theme of how to deal with animals.  Plus it gives Steven Yeun's character some incredible backstory.

The design of the alien creature is beyond brilliant and something I was not expecting in the least.  It is a terrifying antagonist and awe-inspiring.  Watching it devour people is incredibly disturbing,  but really effective.

Finally, the use of sound is really unsettling.  The screams coming from the UFO made me shiver even before I knew what they were.  Nope is a movie that really makes the music and sound design work to enhance the rest of the film.


What Sucks:

I strongly dislike Keke Palmer's character, Em.  This is nothing against Palmer's perfromance.  She played the character well, it's just that Em is the type of person I can't stand in real life.  At times, you are supposed to frustrated with her on OJ's behalf, but I never came around to liking her by the end of the movie, which I think we were supposed to.  I guess her character arc wasn't strong enough for me.

Finally, the 3rd act went on a little too long.  I think parts of it could have been changed up, especially with the death of Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott).  The end of his character is...stupid and frustrating.  I think something more interesting and creative could have been done to take him out.


Verdict:

Nope is a solid movie and very unique.  Jordan Peele continues to show how talented he is.  This is more of a sci-fi movie than a horror film, but the horror elements are fantastic thanks to some great work with the creatures and some excellent sound desing.  I didn't care for how Em and Antlers were used and the 3rd act was a little long, but this movie has still got it going on.

 8/10: Really Good 
   

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