Nope – Movie Review
Director: Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us)
Writer: Jordan Peele (Screenplay)
Cast
- Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)
- Keke Palmer (Lightyear)
- Brandon Perea
- Michael Wincott (Dead Man)
- Steven Yeun (Burning)
Plot: The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
Runtime: 2 Hours 10 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Nope starts at the Hayward Ranch where OJ (Kaluuya) the home of horses used in the movies. His father Otis (David) has built up a reputation over the year. When a freak accident occurs, Otis is killed, leaving OJ needing to rely on his energetic sister Emerald (Palmer) to run the business.
When the event happens again, OJ and Emerald look for answers. They turn to electronic company employee Angel (Perea) to help set up cameras. This gives them eyes on the skies as they search for the answers they can’t imagine.
Verdict on Nope
Characters
OJ works on the ranch with his father, he has worked with horses his whole life but lacks the host charisma. This is seen when he needs to take over from his father when he needs his sister to do the talking. He has been struggling for money, leading him to take up an offer from a rival rancher to buy his horses, something that pains him. OJ is the first to see something in the sky, not sure how to explain it, reluctantly works with his sister to solve the mystery.
Emerald is a confident energetic woman who has taken over the hosting of the Hayward Ranch. She is chasing the Hollywood dream herself and sees the mystery in the sky as a chance to get rich. Emerald often gets OJ into things he isn’t prepared for, leading to the determination to capture the unexplained.
Angel is a tech that helps install the cameras on the ranch, he gets more involved than the siblings wanted. His involvement will add comedy to everything that is going on.
Ricky ‘Jupe’ Park runs a local fun ranch riding the fame he once had as a child. He has been helping OJ by buying the horses of him and always believes something big could happen.
Performances
Daniel Kaluuya does an excellent job making his character feel like an everyday person. He makes OJ feel boring, which is intentional because Keke Palmer brings the energy to her role, one that brings the movie to life, that helps show the difference between the siblings.
In the supporting cast, Brandon Perea brings much-needed laughs to the movie. Steven Yeun brings a man with flair to present, which helps show what his character is up to.
Story
The story follows a horse ranch family that finds themselves needing to solve a mystery surrounding their ranch. It shows how the siblings look for answers while trying to prove what is there.
This story dives into the sci-fi genre pieces of the past, creating a mystery that looks clearly toward one thing, before turning everything on its head with the truth. There is a lot of fun with how it is explored, but the chapter break-up can see the story jumping around a little bit too much.
Themes
Nope is a sci-fi horror that uses the remote ranch having something lurking over it to drive the horror. The sci-fi side of the film comes from what it is, not giving everything away, despite the trailer hinting heavily at something. There is plenty of mystery going on, as to what is happening, with many things that happen, being things we haven’t seen before.
Where to Watch: Nope is currently showing in the cinema.
Final Thoughts – Nope is an excellent sci-fi mystery that leaves you stunned.