Harry Situation Reviews: Nope
Nope is the newest science fiction thriller written and directed by Jordan Peele. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, and Keith David.
The story is set around two siblings (played by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) who are both the owners of their father's struggling business and horse ranch. While trying to resolve their financial issue they start to notice strange things happening around the ranch. Power outages, the horses are acting up, and sightings of a mysterious object in the sky. All this phenomena leads the pair to acknowledge that there appears to be a UFO circulating the ranch, and they seek to capture evidence of this.
I've stated this before but it is worth repeating: Jordan Peele has easily become one of my favorite directors in recent memory, especially in the horror/thriller genre. Get Out is clearly his best, and Us is just amazing. Is Nope another win for Mr. Peele. I'm gonna say... yup!
First positive goes to Peele's direction. The man really knows how to build tension.
He does so with his use of tracking shots and camera pans. There were a few scenes that just had me at the edge of my seat because I was so tensed up.
The performances are outstanding. The two stand outs are obviously Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer. Daniel Kaluuya is great portraying this brother who has a very serious and stoic nature. But Keke Palmer is a the real show stealer here. She just has this very confident attitude. Her character has a ton of charm and charisma. You can't help but like her a lot.
I also enjoyed this new and original perspective of the UFO that seems to visiting and terrorizing the characters. This movie has a big twist on the UFO that I won't spoil, but I thought it was pretty brilliant. And that's what makes Peele's writing so amazing. He makes you believe it's one thing but then reveals something else entirely.
I will say that one major issue I did have against the movie was there was a flashback scene involving one of the characters (particularly Steven Yeun's character) where he was the witness to a chimpanzee attack. I just feel that this really had no real bearing on the overall plot. Honestly I'm not sure how this flashback relates to the UFO, if there is a connection. If they'd cut that part out of the movie you wouldn't even notice anything different. That's just how I personally feel at least.
Overall Nope is another hit from director Jordan Peele. I should address that you probably shouldn't be going into this movie expecting a scary movie. The movie doesn't have any legit scares. This is definitely a thriller cut from the same cloth as, say, The Sixth Sense or Signs.
Oh shit, I hope I haven't jinxed Jordan Peele's directing career by mentioning two M. Night Shyamalan films.
But definitely check out this movie!
Positives:
-Peele's directing and writing
-Tension
-Performances
-Original twist
Negatives:
-An unnecessary flashback
Final Grade: B+
So those are my thoughts on Nope. Have you seen it? What were your thoughts on it? Please be kind, leave a like and comment, and check out more reviews here on Prose!
Best Quote:
Antlers Holst: "This dream you're chasing... where you end up at the top of the mountain... it's the one you never wake up from."
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