Jordan Peele has only made two films as a writer and director and both of them were instant hits and have already helped change popular culture to an unprecedented level. Get Out awarded him with an Oscar and placed Peele in a category with other top-tier filmmakers, and with his second film, Us, he went further and deeper into modern social and political issues to create a film with messages about consequences and unity across America. His third film them, Nope, has you wondering whether he can do a hat trick and create another classic. The answer is a big and resounding yes!
I honestly don’t know where to start when discussing this film. I went in knowing very little about the story and characters, and I would highly recommend everyone else to do the same. The sense of mystery creates an uneasiness and you feel the tension rise throughout the film. The pacing is on point, as from the start you witness something tragic and that leads to something else and you start wondering what is this about and what is going on? The film eventually drip feeds you more and more and the answers start coming and you are left being absorbed and immersed in the experience.
The cinematography is a massive step up from Peele’s earlier films. Nope has a sense of scale that makes you feel like he’s got a bigger budget to play with. The wide shots and scenic long shots create an atmospheric and cinematic film to the point where it feels like Peele has unintentionally created a Summer Blockbuster. This film is big and towards the later half of the film you start to feel like a little kid again in the cinema. The film has a lot of Spielbergian callbacks and some of the shots in this film will give you goosebumps and the sound design is genuinely chilling too. I am very hard to scare when it comes to horror films but this film has done something no other horror film has done in a long time, its given me nightmares!
The characters are also very well developed too with Daniel Kaluuya re-teaming with Peele to create the character of OJ, whose sister Em is played by Keke Palmer. These two are the heart of the film, but the supporting characters are also just as important such as IT expert Angel played by Brandon Perea and Stephen Yeun’s Jupe who has a horrific back-story that you won’t believe until you see for yourself! There’s not too much going on but each character has an important role to play and by the end you will feel like the film has flown by.
★★★★★
5/5
I would love to talk more but that would be doing the film a huge disservice. There’s so much more that the film offers too. Peele is slowly becoming the new Spielberg, by creating film after film that feels new, modern and relevant with themes that are not usually explored in big budget cinema. I for one cannot wait to see what he comes up with next but I can safely say that Nope is one on my favourite films of the year, and possible of all time too!
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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