Nope (Peele, 2022)
Jordan Peele swings for the creative fences with his new film, Nope, but he comes up just short of the home run that social media was anticipating.
Nope is ambitious and reasonably entertaining, but it lacks the clear vision of Peele’s other two movies, Get Out and Us. Get Out was a definitive horror film that reminded America that racism still exists in the forms of microaggressions and racial pandering. Us was a definitive horror film that forced America to reckon with its history of marginalizing “others.” It may not be fair to pigeonhole Peele in this way, but the lack of focus in Nope makes the comparisons too obvious to not address.
Nope, unlike Get Out or Us, vacillates between genres. At any given point the movie is a comedy, a science fiction tale, or a horror movie. This scattershot approach probably won’t bother the casual viewer. The audience that I screened the movie with chuckled at nearly every joke that Peele sprinkles throughout the film. The movement and appearance of the movie’s antagonist is sufficiently otherworldly to mesmerize you and there are a few moments on screen that will have you jumping out of your seat. If all of that was Peele’s intention, then the movie should be considered a success. However, Peele’s failure to commit to one specific genre prevents the movie from excelling in any one area that will be obvious to discerning viewers.
This lack of commitment is pervasive throughout the film and allows the movie to get away from Peele in several ways. His homages are all over the place. He makes obvious references to movies like Jaws and Close Encounters and subtle ones to nearly every movie M. Knight Shyamalan has ever made. There are times when it feels like nothing about the film’s story is original. It’s a confounding choice given how successfully avant-garde Get Out and Us were. Both of those movies effectively fermented challenging discussions about race by committing to being a horror film with a clear social message.
Peele could have successfully used this approach with Nope, but he only goes as far as teasing substantive social commentary on race. Early in the film, OJ Howard, played by Daniel Kaluuya, introduces himself to a blonde Caucasian actress. She clutches her proverbial pearls and looks at him incredulously: “Your name is OJ?” The joke was low-hanging fruit, but could have provided great segue into the material and social conditions of minorities in a mostly white movie industry. However, Peele seems too preoccupied with creating a “sci-fi hor-com” and squanders the opportunity to provide the necessary kindling to spark a passionate conversation about race in America and specifically in the movie industry.
However, what the film lacks in substance it makes up for in flash. The cinematography, sound design, and acting are fantastic. Peele places the Haywood house in center frame several times to show off the beauty of its pastoral architecture. He also utilizes a plethora of wide shots to give awe-inspiring views of the ranch’s landscape and the ominously big sky above it. Johnnie Burn, the film’s sound designer, creates an immersive auditory experience that allows you to actually feel the rumbles created by stampeding horses and cower at the foreboding clangor of the film’s antagonist. Daniel Kaluuya (OJ Howard), Keke Palmer (Emerald Haywood), and Steven Yuen (Ricky) all give fantastic performances, but Brandon Perea (Angel Torres) really shines. Perea’s performance serves as an excellent foil for both Haywood siblings. He is technically proficient in his job like OJ is in his, but not as depressingly serious. He is funny and personable like Emerald, but not the overwhelming personality. He really ties the two main characters together and helps keep a rather slowly paced film moving.
The film will be a summer success, but to fully appreciate Nope, and there is a lot to appreciate, you’re going to have to let go of hopes that it will equal or surpass his previous work.
