“Nope” Review
Written by Victor DeBonis
Jordan Peele is one of those filmmakers that we’re blessed to have around. “Nope” is continued proof of this. His direction for this movie is, as one would expect, excellent. As one might imagine, Peele took great influence from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” when making this film, and it’s one of those elements that makes me greatly appreciate it because I love “Close Encounters” and consider it one of my favorites from Spielberg. Yet, he also does enough with his script to make the story distinguish itself a little more from other extraterrestrial movies.
The cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema is absolutely fantastic. This film was partly shot with IMAX cameras, and this approach was placed to terrific effect. I find myself wanting to see specific shots of these characters just walking around and talking to each other in this middle-of-nowhere location again because they’re doing it to some incredible-looking backgrounds of these gargantuan hills that stretch on and look incredible. The sheer detail of these fields and the grandiose size of these shots is very impressive.
Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer play the brother and sister who collaborate with determining how to deal with the extraterrestrials that are terrifying the area, and they have a terrific dynamic. Kaluuya is excellent in his role through how he is the introverted and reserved one of the duo. Half of the time, he peers away from those that he speaks to, while he’s focusing on simply determining how to make a successful pitch or get the job done. Palmer is definitely the extroverted soul from the duo, and she provides plenty of enthusiasm and curiosity to share. She easily provides plenty of the funniest lines and moments in the movie.
Steven Yeun performs superbly and is great at providing an upbeat presence and knowing how to present an intriguing enough show for a crowd. For the brief time that Keith David is present in the movie, he makes every moment count, and his character is straightforward and leaves the impression of someone who made a lasting impact on his character’s children. And, Michael Wincott is great, too, as the cinematographer that Kaluuya and Palmer reach out to for assistance. His obsession with his craft and his thick voice that holds a touch of insanity allow him to create an intriguing character. Ever since I first saw him as the main villain in “The Crow” I’ve always been happy to see Wincott, and I do wish that there were a few more scenes featuring him.
There is a little more humor in this movie than Peele’s previous movie, “Us” and I’m thankful for that because this director and screenwriter is always at his best when he brings the right balance of both horror and humor to engage his audience. The scares and suspense in this movie are also effectively handled, and Peele knows how to handle uncomfortable silence and moments in which it is unknown what will happen with a threat. One of the scenes in the middle of the movie left me budging back against my seat because, even though I was clearly seeing what was taking place, I was left in an anxious place in terms of wondering how it was going to come to its end.
I also appreciate how this story, in several respects, pays a good homage to those who work on the jobs from behind-the-scenes of a movie or show and don’t always get as much recognition as they deserve. The two main characters work as those who help provide and train animals that are used in shows, and the audience recognizes how hard it can be for them to find jobs and that others often don’t notice their talents that they have as opposed to, say, the attention that a director or screenwriter receives. Whether someone is working on editing or cinematography or a job that is part of the crew, “Nope” works superbly as the type of story that shows great respect to those that work on one of the jobs that doesn’t receive as much attention as other jobs for bringing a show or movie to life.
The film is also fairly complex in a few ways, too. As one would expect, the movie explores the idea of the unknown and what the effect can be when humans encounter it or don’t know how to process what happens in the aftermath of it. However, there is also some interesting commentary regarding how people use the media and the extent to which some can be obsessed with using it (specifically, a “recording” or photo of something) as a way of proving the importance or existence of something.
Additionally, the film taps into the idea of what happens when entertainers try to catch the attention of others through specific methods and what the response can lead to for both the audience and the “celebrity.” In some ways, “Nope” is an insightful glance into what comes from entertainment and what the benefits and disadvantages can be with how far others take it.
One considerable issue that I did have with the movie is that there is a storyline with a specific character that gives the audience the impression that it’s going to connect further with the movie, later on, but it suddenly stops and never develops further that. I can understand where its purpose may be with some of the commentary that goes on through the film, but, given how much focus it has in the movie, especially in the earlier moments, it felt somewhat disappointing to see this character and storyline not add more to a conflict and overall story that is rather engaging and well-written. Also, there are a couple of scenes that weren’t necessarily bad, but they could’ve been trimmed for how they were lingering a bit.
All in all, though, “Nope” is a terrific blockbuster that has solid commentary and provides plenty of good humor, frights, and some superb visuals and acting that make it another great entry for a talented filmmaker.
Definitely check it out.
A-