Nope

UK Release Date: 12 August 2022

Certification: 15
Director: Jordan Peele
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Wrenn Schmidt, Michael Wincott, Steven Yeun

Rating: 85%

Review:

One of my favourites from last year. The film subverts all expectations in the best possible way. Nope solidifies Jordan Peele as one of the industries most sought-after filmmakers. 

Taking inspiration from Steven Spielberg's filmography - Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws and Jurassic Park - Jordan Peele creates an awe-inspiring experience. Peele's most ambitious film to date takes full advantage of the larger budget. The film is a spectacle to behold. A mix of horror, science-fiction and western combine to create a visually striking masterpiece that reaffirms the beauty of cinema. Cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema, makes the night look so gorgeous but yet so unexplored. In order to attain such clarity with no natural light he had to create a new way to film, shooting the same scene with an infrared camera as well as a 35mm camera and overlaying the image in post production. That whole process, and in general the sheer talent on display from a photographic standpoint, makes Nope a remarkable watch. 

For me, this is Daniel Kaluuya's most complete performance. The character of OJ is the modern horror protagonist conveying the thoughts of the audience on screen, always making the correct and logical decision. He is so subdued portraying most of the emotion through facial expressions and subtle nods. An interesting character detail that Kaluuya added was communicating to people as if they were animals only further emphasising the nuance of the character. Playing his sister, Emerald, Keke Palmer steals every scene she's in. Energetic and exuberant from beginning to end. Kaluuya and Palmer sell the sibling relationship bringing charismatic energy to Nope. 

Peele collaborates once more with trusted composer, Michael Abels. Throughout the film's runtime, Abels reacts to the constantly evolving genre to create a score that stimulates all the right emotions within the audience. When it goes full western is when the score really excels for me - 'Preparing the Trap', 'A Hero Falls' and 'Nope'. 

Much like Get Out and Us, Nope is filled with deeper meaning and hidden symbolism. On rewatch I was able to take a little more from the film's message on the state of Hollywood and how media is distributed. Jupe's (Steven Yeun) story felt warranted this time round, a vital aspect to the subtext behind the film. There are still unknown aspects but upon each rewatch Nope will only improve.