Nope (2022)
3.5/4
Calling all horror/science fiction fans: Oscar-winning horror filmmaker Jordan Peele has released his newest thrill ride, Nope, and I must say that this is one great movie that all horror fans will give a big yep to.
What I really like about this film comes down to one word: tension. As he has proven with his horror hits Get Out and Us, Peele is one of today’s biggest masters of tension. Whether you’re in a house that has blood rain dripping down its windows or a simple horse stable trying to tie up some horses, there’s not a moment in the film where you don’t feel tension vibrating down your neck. It’s really brilliantly done and it proves that Peele has what it takes to be this generation’s Hitchcock.
Another thing I enjoyed about Nope is its messaging. One of the strengths of Peele’s movies is that each one always leaves its audience to interpret for themselves what it all means. That’s certainty true with this film. There is all sorts of interesting imagery that makes the audience think about how everything comes together and it definitely leaves people talking, which is what I love to hear when I walk out of a movie.
I also like how the film plays homage to the people who often do not get recognized for their efforts. Both of the movie’s main characters are film consultants who train their film’s actors how to ride and behave around horses. The main character, OJ, wears a film crew sweater that he got off of a film production that his late father was working on. These nods to the people behind the movies we see are done in a very poignant and loving manner and that aspect of the film really brings a lot to the story.
The sound design and visual effects are Oscar-level worthy. They really were the film’s most immersive tool and did a great job sucking me in to the world of the movie.
Now, for the stuff I didn’t like. One of the most disturbing sequences of the movie was a flashback involving a young child actor and an out-of-control monkey. The frustrating, and weird, thing about this scene is that it does not have a clear connection with the rest of the movie, which I thought was a complete waste of a very interesting idea.
Despite this, Peele’s Nope is a thought-provoking thrill ride that no moviegoer will soon forget.