"Nope" review — Jordan Peele's UFO horror is thrilling, intelligent, and rich

“What’s a bad miracle?”

This film was featured on my Best Films of 2022 list.

We’re all addicted to the power of spectacle. We like watching the chaos, the calamity. No matter how terrible the news headlines become, we find ourselves unable to look away. Reddit forums are dedicated to the most unruly, violent parts of humanity. We turn tragedy into entertainment. Why do we insist on documenting and broadcasting the worst parts of our lives?

In steps Nope, the third film from comedian-turned-filmmaker Jordan Peele. Following up on his films Us (2019) and Oscar-winner Get Out (2017), Peele has always asserted himself as one of the most attuned and relevant contemporary filmmakers. His films are witty, smart, scary, and always offer more to think about. With Nope, he’s given budget enough to make a film with true blockbuster-style spectacle. Peele’s latest is a film about “bad miracles” and the people desperately trying to document what would otherwise be tragedy. The film is a total delight. It’s sharp, focused, and endlessly creative. In a world full of “bad miracle” movies, it’s a joy to watch a film work as well as Nope does.

Meet Otis “OJ” Hayworth, Jr (Daniel Kaluuya). Six months ago, OJ’s father (Keith David) died. He was struck in the head by a coin that fell from the sky. The authorities chalked it up to debris that fell from an airplane flying overhead, but to OJ, that explanation never seemed to add up. But he can’t think about that much now. With his father gone, he’s got a ranch to run and a business to maintain, although the family business doesn’t seem to be going very well for OJ and his sister, Emerald (Keke Palmer). One day, after a strange electrical episode, OJ notices something in the sky. He can only identify it as one thing: a UFO. And with the promise of visitors from another world, OJ and Emerald see an opportunity for fame and fortune. They just need to get the impossible, undeniable shot of alien life.

Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Brandon Perea in Nope. Photo: Universal.

Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer lead a phenomenal cast. Kaluuya is quiet and understated as the soft-spoken OJ. While his quiet demeanour might make some prone to interpreting the character as borning, Kaluuya and a smartly-crated script keep the character from fading in the background. Palmer is charming and funny as the extra-extroverted Emerald. Joining Kaluuya and Palmer is Brandon Perea who plays Angel Torres, a tech salesman who pushes himself into the Hayworths’ plan to capture video of the UFO. The film’s secret weapon might just be Steven Yeun who plays child star turned horse wrangler Ricky “Jupe” Park. Park certainly has the strangest arc of the film, revolving around a seemingly unrelated plot about a monkey that murdered a sitcom cast in 1998, but the character adds so much depth and subtext to the rest of the story and Yeun plays him to perfection.

Peele’s written work is as much of a star as Kaluuya and Palmer. Like with Us and Get Out, Peele weaves his darkly comedic horror sensibilities throughout the film making Nope into a total riot of a movie. The cast, especially Kaluuya, Palmer, and Perea, play the humour of the script to perfection but without ever making the characters feel like fools or expendable. Peele’s filmmaking prowess is on display to its full potential here. With a bigger budget and more blockbuster action than his previous two films, Peele never gives up on his artistic credibility. The film relies heavily on its themes to communicate the story, which will make it into a film that certainly won’t be for everyone. It’s a film that invites conversation and debate. Seemingly unrelated side plots become the most interesting aspects of the film when you consider how they connect to the project less literally. For that, Nope is one of the most exciting films of the year. It’s rich, layered, and dynamic and never holds the audience’s hand.

Steven Yeun in Nope. Photo: Universal.

The film is full of excellent creative choices, fantastic music, and great cinematography. Composer Michael Abels’ score shines brightly here complimented by some great soundtrack choices. Shot on IMAX and with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema behind the camera, Nope looks phenomenal. The direction here is almost among the best of the year so far. The action sequences are constantly engaging. While Nope is not the most horror-infused film in Peele’s filmography, the scares are extremely effective. There is one scene that uses claustrophobia in a particularly inventive way that becomes unforgettable. Peele also pulls in quite a few influences with Steven Spielberg being perhaps the most prominent of all. It takes some notes from Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Jaws (1977) which makes the film feel classic in its composition but never forfeits its contemporary sensibilities.

The word “spectacle” is often thrown around in reviews of Nope. The film invites it when it opens with a quotation from the NKJV translation of Nahum 3:6. “I will cast abominable filth upon you, says the scripture, “make you vile, and make you a spectacle.” What it has to say about the subject is certainly up for debate, I think that it is no accident that the UFO is shaped much like an eye, but Nope offers fresh commentary and plenty of provocative food for thought. It is one of the year’s most creative and original films and is certainly not to be missed.

Nope is now playing in theatres.

Nope information
Written and directed by Jordan Peele
Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea, and Keith David
Released 22 July 2022
131 minutes