Nope may be unsettling and horrific, but it’s also a brilliant exploration of various interesting themes.
Overall Score: 8/10
Image: Universal Pictures
I have a complicated relationship with the horror genre. It’s not that I dislike all scary films, it’s just that by nature, I’m not the kind of person who enjoys or can stomach watching things that are designed to make people feel uncomfortable. There are, however, a few horror movies that I do like and am fascinated by. For example, there’s The Sixth Sense and Black Swan. And now, joining that list is Nope.
From this point onwards, there will be spoilers (as it’s almost impossible to discuss this film without revealing what happens). So, if you’ve yet to watch it, I’d advise you to do so first before reading this review.
While Nope certainly is a horror flick, I like that, at its core, it’s actually more of a science fiction thriller — and a very fun one at that. The whole time I found myself on the edge of my seat, watching on in fear and anticipation of what would happen next. And that, I think, is mostly thanks to how Jordan Peele uses a vast array of sounds, visuals, and camera movements, all of which add to Nope’s spine-tingling suspense and eerie atmosphere.
I suppose that the only problem I have with this film has to do with its characters. I mean, don’t get me wrong. They’re fun to watch and the cast does a wonderful job of bringing them to life, but I also think that they’re underdeveloped and underutilized at points. And while I’ll admit that this isn’t that big of an issue, I just find it weird that Peele would give us hints of some of their backstories and not really do anything with them.
But let’s forget about all of that and move on to the more interesting stuff. Much like Peele’s previous movies, Nope contains several compelling themes and ideas. The first one has to do with animals and how they’re often used for our entertainment. Peele tackles this theme expertly through one very horrific sequence that has to do with Gordy, the titular chimp star of the fictional sitcom Gordy's Home. During a taping of the show, a balloon pops, sending Gordy on a violent rampage (which includes maiming a human co-star). When he sees a young Jupe, Gordy seems to calm down and reaches out to the child actor with a fist bump. Before Jupe can return the gesture, however, Gordy is shot and killed. This part of the movie is very upsetting, but I think that it’s a brilliant and necessary depiction of the terrible things that could happen should humans continue to try and “tame” wild animals and treat them as mere objects of entertainment.
Nope’s second major theme concerns exploitation within the film industry. This comes into play early on when Em tells a film crew about the unnamed Black jockey in "Plate 626” from Animal Locomotion, a man she claims to be her ancestor. Em makes it a point to ask everyone if they’re aware of the jockey’s name, and, as expected, no one is. Through this, Peele paints a picture of how Black people have historically gone uncredited and their efforts in film unrecognized. Instead of giving the jockey the fame and attention he deserved, he was sidelined and his descendants have continuously been relegated to only providing movie productions with horses while White people have received most, if not all, of the recognition.
Last but not least, Nope touches on our (often unhealthy) need for spectacle. We largely see this through OJ and Em’s attempts to capture footage of the UFO. Their plans on how to do so are extremely risky and dangerous, and I think that their insistence on going through with them perfectly reflects how people will do anything for fame and content — even if it might get them seriously injured or killed in the process. This theme is also present in the part of the plot that involves Jupe trying to profit off of luring the UFO out into the open for a live show. He doesn’t care if his actions could potentially jeopardize his and his audience’s lives. He just wants to make money. And, well, let’s just say that it doesn’t end well for him.
Ultimately, Nope isn’t a film that’s easy to make sense of. However, if you take the time to think about it, you might find that it’s thought-provoking and that its themes are extremely interesting. And while it certainly isn’t perfect and it won’t be for everyone, if you ask me, I’d say that it’s definitely worth a watch.
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