Nope

Ten Second Review: Peele might not be for everyone, but I will always push people to see his films. It’s the type of cinema that deserves support.

There is some spoiler adjacent content below!

By now showering praise on Get Out and Us is a little trite. I will continue to tell anyone and everyone who will listen that they should give them a go, but at this point, if you haven’t watched them I get that that’s just not your thing. Get Out in particular sits with films like Halloween and Parasite as instances that shifted horror. Moments of true excitement for fans of film beyond genres.

Nope sees Hollywood born and bred siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluyaa) and Em (Keke Palmer) trying to catch whatever they are seeing on their ranch on film. 

Firstly, from a filmmaking perspective, this is an incredible watch. The acting, the shots, the sound and the script combine to make something tense and exhilarating while still having bags of character. It was a joy to watch, but that wasn’t even the best thing about it.

It might seem silly to say that it’s good to see Jordan Peele getting really experimental and esoteric with his film making. I understand that in their own ways, his previous films have been a little off the wall, but this one floats through themes and ideas in a less overt manner. Having now seen it, I have felt comfortable and safe to read what other people are saying online and it seems like the messages here have been less clear cut for people that in his previous work, but I thought I’d offer my two cents (which might be off by a mile).

What I felt I saw was a piece about spectacle; how we see phenomena, how we want to share it, how it damages us. It felt as though the metaphor of “the impossible shot” and an adversary that refuses to be caught on film even though it wants to be seen, mirrored how we now try to film and share everything often without actually looking at it ourselves. There’s also something to be added about the attempts to tame and cage nature and how nature reacts to that. Is it better to fear and ignore or resist and capture? 

There is far too much to be said about this film to capture here. This is a film to discuss. Go see it and go with people so you can debate and dissect together afterwards. Ironically, given the biblical theme throughout, this isn’t a parable to be taken in, it’s a starter for 10 to open a conversation.