The story of Jordan Peele is one of the most intriguing in the film industry, from his days as an actor in several comedy sketches to creating his own (Key and Peele) alongside Keegan-Michael Key, to directing one of the best-ever horror films in his directorial debut, Get Out, and doing it again for his second directorial outing with US.
While a lot of things can be said about the actor/director/producer, one thing that is known for a fact is his ability to create a beautiful cinematic experience while focusing on deep-rooted societal themes. This he has done times without number in multiple projects.
In his third directorial outing, Peele ramps up his ability to create a beautiful cinematic experience in what is his biggest,and wildest work yet, Nope. The film follows horse-wrangling siblings OJ and Emerald, as they bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery and their plan to tap into it for fame and money.
“I will cast abominable filth at you. Make you vile. And make you a spectacle”. This opening message from the film gives the audience a taste of what is to come and it doesn’t miss. The abominable filth represents everything the Alien in the skyexpels due to its inability to digest them including coins, keys, kites, and even plastic horses. The spectacle represents what the characters intend to do with the Alien, with the siblings planning on getting it on camera and another character, Jude Parkplanning on making a show and parading it in front of live audiences.
The film takes a while to find its footing amidst its several plotlines, some of which adds no bearing whatsoever to the film, but once it did, it delivers a heart-racing horror thriller beautifully by borrowing regular horror techniques such as jump scares, but its use of visuals increased the tension, suspense, and overall experience.
This is a film that dives into the world of spectacles and the cinematography works beautifully well in bringing this world to life with the help of its flawless VFX.
The casts were a phenomenon and Keke Palmer deserves all the appraisals that came her way with the premiere of this film. Peele seems to have found the ‘Leonardo DiCaprio to his Martin Scorsese‘ in Daniel Kaluuya and it seems to be the start of a beautiful relationship as Kaluuya beautifully embodies every role he has worked on Peele with. Brandon Perea was also remarkable in this and he portrays the comedic and cowardly parts with vigor.
While this is Jordan Peele’s biggest and most ambitious project yet, it fails to recreate the magic of Get Out which remains his best work to date.