Nope (2022)

Oscar-winning writer/director Jordan Peele returns with this third film after the horror smashes Get Out and Us…..and this time, he’s taking things in a slightly different direction.  There’s still horror involved but there’s also sci-fi and even many western elements.  This story focuses on the Haywoods, a brother (Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya) and sister (Keke Palmer) running a horse ranch in southern California that was left them by their father (Keith David) who died under mysterious circumstances emanating from something dangerous….up in the sky. :o 

And one night as they’re trying to figure out what to do with their dying ranch (business has been much slower since Westerns stopped being a regular thing in Hollywood movies), these circumstances return….scary noises and images, it SEEMS that there might be a UFO hovering near them.  So in light of recent economic circumstances, they decide that the most lucrative course of action for them would be to collect ACTUAL footage of the alleged UFO which they can sell for major profit….and that pretty much kicks off the story which has been teased by a very mysterious advertising campaign in the lead-up to this film’s release.  Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, and Brandon Perea also co-star in this very unique summer thriller.   

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Transcript

NOPE - 2022

Directed by Jordan Peele 

Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, Barbie Ferreira, and Keith David (Audio clip)

Genre: Sci-Fi Horror Western

Nope is a tense, strange, and altogether goofy genre hybrid….with a heart - it's VERY much an homage and/or tribute to '70's Spielberg in that you could make a case that it's equal parts Close Encounters, Jaws, and 1941. Now for anybody who has firsthand knowledge of those three films, here's one question that MIGHT be critical towards your enjoyment of this film: whatever you might think of 1941 as a movie overall, do you think that maybe just 1/3 of it could have been a very fun movie? If your answer is NOT the title of this movie, then you might dig this....

Now if you're someone who adores (as I do) both Jaws and Close Encounters, would it make this film a negative experience for you if it only went part (let's just say 1/3) of the way towards creating either of those films but not ALL the way? That's an even trickier question and for me, it's one I struggled with a bit after seeing this in a theater. You see because director Jordan Peele doesn't really commit to going full-on white knuckle horror NOR sci-fi mystery for the entire runtime here though he gets tantalizingly close for solid chunks of this movie. 

And it helps that he has a very strong cast: the amazing Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer star as OJ and Emerald Haywood, a brother and sister who both grew up on a horse ranch a little ways outside of Hollywood.....a ranch which used to provide horses mainly for the movies and has fallen on hard times. Their father recently died under mysterious circumstances and left the ranch to be run by OJ who has been running it on his own for the most part....until Emerald returns to town and then upon trying to plan where to go next with things, those mysterious circumstances return. :o Also factoring into the story is Ricky played by Steven Yeun - he's a neighbor running a nearby theme park who has been buying the remaining horses from the Haywoods to use as part of Western-themed shows at his park. Ricky was also a child star on a '90's sitcom who experienced something pretty shocking on the set of that show which is teased throughout the first half of the film. Early on, we start to see AND hear very strange things emanating from the sky at the Haywood ranch at night, also resulting in some missing horses.....and THAT'S pretty much the setup as brother and sister start to conspire as to how to get valuable footage of what they suspect might be UFO's causing these disturbances. 

Just from that set-up alone, there are already hints of the emanating danger of Jaws, the otherworldly confusion of Close Encounters, and...of course, the comically absurd WWII paranoia hijinks of 1941. Our two main protagonists are clearly in way over their head from the get-go which helps provide much of the comedy.  Both Kaluuya and Palmer give strong wildly divergent performances (Kaluuya - mostly internalized while Palmer continously boisterous) to help milk all of the comic, dramatic, and suspenseful possibilities from this scenario. We buy them as brother and sister - neither character is given much of the way of monologuing nor soul-searching but they're sufficiently well-drawn enough for us to both understand them and root for them. Peele has once again proven that he's pretty great with actors, especially drawing relatable performances for ordinary characters encountering extraordinary circumstances for the third movie in a row....

And what Peele has made is a genre-defying blend that genuinely teases you at some critical points - I mean there was one sequence in the first half where I found myself thinking momentarily, "Holy shit! This is really happening!" It's SO effectively shot and with eerie sound design, I was almost jumping out of my seat.....until.....well I'll just leave it at that. 

If I'm making Nope sound like some kind of tonal mish-mash, gratefully it isn't....because if there was one thing each of those three '70's Spielberg films had in common, it was a playful tone. One of my favorite moments in 'Close Encounters was always that scene when Richard Dreyfess was driving out in the country to check the power lines in the dark....he's lost so he just stop his truck right in the middle of the road. All we can see are the front lights of other cars slowly coming from behind with his back to them sitting in the front seat fumbling around with a map and a flashlight - as we see one pair of headlights approach, he simply waves them to pass him as those lights simply drive to the left of his truck. Then another set of headlights pulls up - even brighter - and he just waves them to pass without even turning back....however THIS time, the lights rise vertically behind the car unbeknownst to him. Just an inventive moment which makes you both tense up and smile at the time....and several of Nope's best moments are very much in that spirit! 

This is a film with at least 4 or 5 top-flight setpieces. Hoyt Van Hoytema - who has served as cinematographer for Nolan's recent films, most notably Dunkirk - shoots everything crisply with a special emphasis on scale considering that much of the action is taking place amidst large open spaces surrounded by mountains. And MAJOR props to Johnnie Burn (Under the Skin) and the rest of the sound crew for delivering what might be the most original sound design used for a big genre film like this in some time....our protagonists encounter some TRULY frightening stuff which certainly does not sound of this world. And beyond that, it helps to portray not only the fierceness but sheer terror we witness from earth-bound creatures such as the many horses we see reacting to events on the ranch along with a chimpanzee named Gordy. 😮 The Gordy stuff is a centerpiece of the movie which helps really lay out its themes, but we’ll get to 

Overall, Nope is a movie very much about the constant desire to both seek out AND create spectacle....while also examining our continuous human compulsion towards attempting to control forces which are clearly NOT under our control....and it happens to be quite the fun watch. :) 

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film): 

Michael Abels returns to compose the score for this after doing the previous two Jordan Peele films – his score is quite effective and it seems to best blend in with the sound effects design during most intense of sequences.  It almost doesn’t feel like a conventional score at times especially during one especially haunting track featuring scraping violins called “Blood Rain” because….well I’m just leave at that. (Audio clip) 

Not taking anything away from the score but if I had to choose the ONE musical moment which I found the most memorable, it would be the usage of one particular ‘80’s synth-pop hit during a key suspense sequence roughly around the same portion of the film as that Blood Rain one.  That song would be the eternally catchy “Sunglasses At Night” by Corey Hard from his “First Offense” album in 1983….I watched this video many a time on MTV growing up and yeah, I’m kinda embarrassed with how well I can still recite all of the lyrics no less.  (Audio clip) 

In the sequence it’s used in Nope, things are getting quite hairy as we hear this song playing from the car radio of one particular character who has gotten caught amidst the madness and as a result, we get to comically hear this song being played at different speeds thanks to ongoing power issues with the car. (Audio clip) Well no matter the speed it’s playing, it’s STILL remains a banger of a song after all these years!  

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film): 

It’s difficult to categorize any talent involved in this film as being wasted but this film DOES feature the re-emergence of two long-time genre veterans whom I just ADORE going back decades: Keith David who plays the Haywood siblings recently deceased father Otis and Michael Wincott who plays the single-minded cinematographer enlisted by the Haywoods to get quality footage of whtever it is they are trying to capture on film – his name is Antlers Holst….sure why not?  (Audio clip) Since the early ‘80’s, both of these guys have made their mark mostly in smaller roles so even though it’s slightly disappointing that they don’t receive more screentime here, it’s not really a shock either – they have both always been adept at making the most with what they’re given.  

You might remember Wincott as the often scuzzy, gravelly voiced villain/henchman in many a movie including Talk Radio, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Strange Days Alien Resurrection, and most notably as the memorable big boss villain of The Crow.  In one key boardroom face-off scene, he almost outdoes the late Brandon Lee in the charisma department….and with equally impressive hair no less!

Whereas you might remember David as the often scuzzy, baritone-voiced henchman/antihero in many a movie including Requiem for a Dream, previous episodes The Thing AND Platoon, There’s Something About Mary, The Nice Guys, Clockers, and maybe most notably in John Carpenter’s They Live where we watch him have this CRAZY extended back-alley brawl with Rowdy Piper about half-away through – it really needs to be seen to be believed!  Considering that these two have been circling SO much of the same type of pure genre content over the past 30+ years, it’s kind of amazing that they never appeared in the same movie….until now.  It was just great to see them growling with aplomb on the big screen again……just give me more!   

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie): 

Now back to Gordy the Chimpanzee....he plays a critical role in what is likely THE standout sequence in the film. This sequence is on the level of true barn-burners of horror scenes from movies like Alien or The Thing, both of which have been have been covered on this podcast.  Not gonna spoil this too much but what struck me about this scene is not only how terrifying it is to witness but how little is actually shown - it really helps demonstrate the level of confidence which Peele has achieved as a filmmaker three films in. Now I have heard a decent amount of criticism about this particular scene with regards to how early it is placed within the movie AND how it doesn't actually connect to the overall narrative. I respectfully disagree as I feel that it not only helps set into motion one character's actions for the remainder of the film but it also lays out the overall themes of Nope in a very effective manner....(Audio clip)

MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film): 

As both the writer and director of this unique creation, the MVP is clearly Jordan Peele.  With Nope, he is bouncing around genres a bit like the best of them....and it all serves the story he's trying to tell.  Lately, I have been hearing him compared more and more to John Carpenter recently and while the comparison isn't COMPLETELY absurd considering that he now has a strong three movie track record, it's still too soon to really go there.   He's definitely among the best of an exciting recent crop of genre filmmakers with unique voices including Alex Garland, Adam Wingard, and Leigh Whannell.  Regardless of where he ranks among any crop, I can't wait to see what he delivers next!

Final Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

This was just a kick to watch and as far as I’m concerned, it’s pretty comparable to his previous two films, Get Out and Us.  I hope more folks see it on the biggest screen possible – we NEED more original mid-budget films for ADULTS like this to succeed amidst all of the Minions, Marvels, and Mavericks currently dominating the movie marketplace!

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And that ends another GENRE-DEFYING review!