Yes, I agree we’re 4 weeks too late for this, however, it is not our fault. Nope released in India just today but for the whole world it released on 22nd July 2022. My guess is that Bollywood didn’t want any competition for its highly ambitious film Shamshera. Hence, Nope was delayed. However, I don’t think so pushing Nope’s release forward helped it in any way as the film bombed anyhow. Getting back to the matter at hand, Nope is a Jordan Peele film that means yes, it is a horror film. Although, not a conventional horror film it has a Jordan Peele twist to it. The American actor, comedian, writer and director has previously stunned us with his directorial debut horror film- Get Out.
WARNING – Major Spoilers for the Episode Follow Below
Rating – ★★★
The psychological horror film blew everyone’s minds away with its engaging screenplay, powerful performances and the the deeper themes imbedded in the story that elevate the quality of the film. Peele is known for always including social demons like racism in his films that act as theme to connect with the audience on a deeper level so as not to wander around the surface anymore. Even if he displays societal issues in his films that act as observational horror, he makes sure to give audiences actual horror that satisfies on the promise that his films promise. Not simply lecturing audiences about the wrongdoings of our ancestors. His next venture called Us (2019) was no different. Peele dialed up the horror and fantasy element in this film although keeping his remarkable style intact.
The film had incredible performances from Lupita Nyong’o that started Oscar buzz. Although, the Academy was too ignorant to consider her for Best Actress even if it was one of the best performances of that year. However, the academy did recognize Peele’s brilliance as they awarded him Best Original Screenplay Award for Get Out. Naturally after giving audiences back to back hits, Peele’s next film was highly anticipated- Nope. While I was skeptical of Nope because every other film I was excited for this year has thoroughly disappointed me, I didn’t want Nope to be the same but the day is finally here and I’ve seen the film so I can quit speculating and judge it for myself.
Is Nope Jordan Peele ‘s Best Film?
Let me get it right out of the way, Nope is certainly not Peele’s best film. In fact it might be his weakest film yet. That doesn’t mean it is not a good film. His previous works are simply too good to beat. Nope is a very good horror film. The film has an interesting setting even if it may have a generic premise. We’ve all seen enough films surrounding aliens. The closest any film comes to Nope is Signs, a film by M Night Shyamalan. Nope’s strength is the execution of the film.
The film started out on a slow note and the first 25 to 30 minutes of the film weren’t particularly interesting or engaging but the film soon picks up pace. It is really the second half of the film that has the best things Peele has to offer. I like how the film doesn’t try to hide the fact that there really is an alien around. It embraces the fact and tries to do some innovative things with it. I like some of the twists that the film had. Even if I was expecting it, I like how the saucer figure is not a space ship rather it is the alien. The numerous set-ups and payoffs are praise-worthy.
I liked the Monkey sub-plot. It didn’t have anything to contribute to the main plot but I understand the thematic significance of it. You can’t tame a territorial animal. Jupe didn’t learn that in the monkey incident and tried to do the same thing again. Well he did face the consequences to his actions. I liked the creature that was shown to us. It was more mythical than terrifying although it did produce some horrifying imagery like when it is directly above the Haywood house and it starts throwing up undigested things.
From a story point of view, I like how they tied up everything. Every piece of the puzzle was scattered around the film and by the end it did fit right where it belonged. The film’s VFX was impressive, nothing particularly stood out as jarring. The film has beautiful cinematography. The night sequences look out of a dream. What Peele and his cinematographer have managed to do here is breathtaking. The score too, it is one of those things you won’t realize right away but the score was perfectly in sync with the imagery shown in the film.
What does Nope lack compared to Peele’s Previous Works?
Unlike Peele’s previous works, I didn’t find any character in this film particularly engaging. It felt like all characters were slaves of the plot. Peele’s characters were the backbone to his film’s success. Be it Us or Get Out the characters Peele wrote were amazing. The twist in the film was well done but I saw it coming. The twists in Get Out and Us were just too good to figure out. There was horror in this film and good horror so that is something common in all three films.
Another area where the film falters is the simplicity with which every character in the film believes that yes there is an alien flying in the sky. I don’t know whether people in LA so impressionable. If I told someone that I saw an alien, I’d have to spend the entire film’s runtime on only convincing them. I’m not saying do that but at least show some skepticism. I didn’t understand the character’s decisions at times like the Antler sacrificing himself for seemingly nothing was above me.
The performances of Kaluuya and Palmer are fine. They get the job done but it wasn’t something extraordinary. Kaluuya’s performance is no way close to his performance in Get Out. Palmer is better than Kaluuya but she simply feels like a cheerful version of him and nothing more. There doesn’t seem anything else to her. Kaluuya feels like he is sleep walking throughout the film. Other than these two there is no such prominent character where I can talk about the actor’s performance.
The biggest problem with the film is probably this. Despite having a very long first act it doesn’t establish the world properly yet. We don’t know the rules of fighting this alien. It just seems like the characters start making up rules as the film progresses. The rules sometimes apply sometimes don’t. This is very irritating as it makes us feel alien to the plot, pun intended. The slow first half is not enough for the film to establish things, now that is an issue. I’m also not a fan of the ending.
The creature simply bursting open because of the balloon was anti-climatic. Also, at the end of the film, the creature took a new form. That form was gorgeous but the problem was it didn’t induce fear anymore. I was too much in the awe of the creature shown to us rather than being scared. The creature was mythically ambiguous but not terrifying at the end. Another thing that pissed me off is the constant cutting to black. The film kept on taking us through the narrative in a chapter like format, even if there was absolutely no need of it.
Verdict
Let’s keep this short, sweet and simple, shall we? Nope is not Jordan Peele’s best, but it is certainly one of the better films of this year. A cinephile should definitely check it out. Even normal audiences should watch the film for a fun and horrifying ride. If you’re a Jordan Peele fan then I don’t have to tell you to watch this film. Nope currently has a Fresh rating of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.4/10 score on IMDb. The film was made on a budget of $69 Million and it has grossed $117 Million until now. Jordan Peele’s Nope is a clear winner and hence is worth a 3.5 out of 5 stars. To answer the question in the title, yes, Jordan Peele’s Nope is definitely a Yup!
Nope is currently playing in theatres near you.
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