NOPE Movie Review by Michael Winkler : Pop Culture Leftovers

NOPE Movie Review by Michael Winkler

July 26, 2022 12:11 pm |

Synopsis:
`The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.`

Jordan Peele takes on the roles of writer, producer, and director for the third time in his newest creation “NOPE”. Peele combines elements of horror, sci-fi, comedy, and drama and puts his spin on classic alien invasion films. While the storytelling is a bit erratic at times, “Nope” works regardless. After “Get Out” and “US”, Jordan Peele has a bit of a track record for creating spectacles on screen. “Nope” is no different. While the first act was a bit dry and sedated, the second and third acts picked up the pace and also let Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya display their fantastic acting and on-screen chemistry.

Haywood’s Hollywood Horses is the family business that O.J. (Kuulya) and sister Emerald (Palmer) are left running after their father’s sudden passing. The Haywoods train horses to appear in tv shows and movies. Weird occurrences start to plague the farm including power outages, bizarre animal behavior, and odd shapes and lights in the sky. With work for the Haywood family at a standstill, O.J. and Emerald decide to try and catch the weird activity on camera to get rich quickly.

Palmer and Kaluuya are fantastic in this film. While the character of O.J. is very stoic and reserved, Kaluuya still finds ways to bring out a top performance. There is a reason why Peele keeps bringing Kaluuya back. The character of Emerald is the exact opposite of her brother. She’s vivacious, confident, and hilarious. Keke Palmer stole the show with her grandiose charisma and charm. Palmer displayed a range of acting skills that will soon make her a household name in this industry. While talking about characters, I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up Angel. Brandon Perea plays the character of Angel who works at the Best Buy-type store where O.J. and Emerald purchase their camera equipment at. I was mildly annoyed by Angel at first, but he soon became a great addition to the film and adds another layer of comedy to the overall serious tone. Steven Yeun plays Ricky Park who owns a ranch that serves as a small amusement park in the same valley as the Haywoods. Yeun is always a pleasure when on screen. There is a backstory tied to Yeun’s character of Ricky that isn’t fully fleshed out. Whether this was intentional or not, it could’ve been wrapped up neater.

“Nope” brings a new spin and feel to the classic extraterrestrial thriller. Jordan Peele once again proves that he is a serious force to be reckoned with in the director’s chair. The movie did have some shortcomings in the form of wandering and incomplete storylines. There are plenty of underlying metaphors and I know some feel that Jordan Peele sometimes tries too hard to march to the beat of his own drum and sometimes goes over the top to stand out. Peele is not doing any of that with “Nope”. Peele is paving his own way and creating his own style. If anyone asks me if I’d ever pass on any of his future work, there’s only one correct answer… NOPE.

PCL RATING: Tupperware

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH