Nope: A Spectacle About Spectacle
The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
Family, filmmaking, and film spectacle collide in Jordan Peele’s latest genre hybrid, Nope, which is a summer blockbuster event deserving of the largest screen. The film is a spectacle about spectacle, our obsession with witnessing it and our obsessive desire to capture it, and it effortly blends western, sci-fi, horror, and comedy elements to create an entertaining extravaganza that subverts audience expectations in that typical Jordan Peele way. Similar to Ti West’s X, Peele also has an interest in exploring the filmmaking process, its cyclical nature and the lengths one goes to get “the shot.” He pays respects to the godfather of cinema, Eadweard Muybridge, and one of its earliest pieces, The Horse In Motion, using its unknown star (an African-American jockey) to build the narrative for his own compelling creation.
In addition to harking back to the history of cinema, Peele also fittingly turns to the godfather of the blockbuster, Steven Spielberg, to help craft his largest cinematic display to date; although, it’s not necessarily the Spielberg joint the Nope’s savvy marketing have led you to believe. In truth, there’s a bit of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind affectionately built into Nope’s DNA; however, it’s more indebted to Spielberg’s Jaws and Jurassic Park, than it is any of his extraterrestrial offerings. Specifically, the way Peele uses a multi-colored streamer of flags (which also might be a nod to technicolor, given its focus on filmmaking) as a plot device recalls Spielberg’s masterful use of the barrel in Jaws. However, what was a showcase of Spielberg’s incredible ability to churn a frustrating technical difficulty into an astounding positive is just a direct homage for Peele, which is recycled for similar means. It’s also clear that Peele hopes to do for open skies what Spielberg did with open waters— and we’ll admit that we’ve looked at clouds with newfound curiosity since we left our screening.
There’s a particular sequence that brings to mind a certain T-Rex chase as well, but the Jurassic Park correlation mostly comes through the seriously impressive sound design by Johnnie Burn. The aural landscapes and unnerving sounds that Burn creates bring the film and its sky dweller into a whole new plane of existence. The sound design also enhances the atmosphere and the creep-factor that Peele and cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema wring out of the film’s wide open spaces. Rounding out the Spielbergisms is the John Williams-esque qualities that inhabit Michael Abels’ score, which appropriately marry to the grand scope and sweeping ambition of Peele’s skyward spectacle.
As far as creating a spectacle, it makes absolute sense for Peele to recruit Hoytema as his Director of Photography. He’s served as Christopher Nolan’s go-to cinematographer since 2014’s Interstellar and has helped create some of cinema’s largest spectaculars over the last decade, and he feels right at home here. He does a wonderful job lensing Peele’s vision, and he boasts a particular atmospheric flair here that brings to mind another of cinema’s great DPs: Dean Cundey, who’s probably most remembered for his work with John Carpenter, but who also photographed a little Steven Spielberg film called Jurassic Park. Hoytema also brings a bit of John Ford energy to amp up the western vibe, but he conjures up Cundey’s moody haze (think The Fog) in Nope’s last act. The night shots are especially stunning.
The film is a bit messy — albeit in mostly good ways that feel more satisfying overall than Us — and Peele continues to showcase his strengths in casting and writing for his performers. Keke Palmer really lights up the screen, and Peele writes to her many performative strengths; she gets to flex her comedic and dramatic chops here, while also giving the film’s horrific moments a palpable feel. Michael Wincott’s character almost feels like a stand-in for its creator with his “one for them, one for me” attitude; his gruff and grumbly voice adds to the neo-western feel, and its rasp gives Sam Elliot a run for his money. For Daniel Kaluuya, who reteams with Peele after his breakout in Get Out, Peele gives him a quieter, more contemplative character, one who uses body language more than dialogue, and although his character is more weary than fun, Kaluuya is naturally up for the challenge. He transforms into this stoic and fearless cowboy figure and marks one of the film’s more surprising transformations. The most interesting metamorphosis belongs to Nope’s sky dweller, and it’s equal parts UFO and Macy’s Day Parade, which is scary as it is mesmerizingly silly.
We really appreciated how Peele took his time setting up the story and its characters. The rules are clear, the stakes are clear, and, more importantly, the layout of the ranch and its surrounding area, which becomes important later, is clear. The subtle emphasis on the seemingly insignificant details, like circular objects that spin or rotate (the horse walker and slushie machine), give the film’s deeper musings a bit more oomph. The editing by Nicholas Monsour also gives the film interesting structure that keeps you on your toes as well as on edge. Not every moment achieves maximum connection, but Peele creates some brilliant scenes in Nope’s chaos, chief among them are the “raining blood” bit, “visitors” prank, and Gordy’s freakout.
With Nope, Peele has once again crafted something clever and special that minces genre and blends references into something that feels totally his own. While there are deeper things he’s trying to articulate, Nope is refreshingly devoid of his typical social commentary, making it a lighter, more crowd-pleasing effort that’s just as exciting and narratively layered. One has to wonder, though, if Nope is Peele’s “one for them.” Is he growing a bit tired of the cyclical rigmarole of studio spectacles, or is he just commenting on how our human desire to chase spectacle (as both a spectator and filmmaker) has the tendency to suck us up and spit us out? We’ll just have to wait for the next spectacle Peele has hidden up his sleeve to find out.
Recommendation: Whether you’re a fan of Jordan Peele or just looking for a spectacle to see on the big screen, definitely say yes to Nope. It’s one of the most anticipated films of the year, and it’s sure to be one that everyone will be buzzing about for the next few months. Get out there and get in the conversation!
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