Nope 2022 (MOVIE REVIEW/ANALYSIS)

Nope  

A Jordan Peele film 

Having seen most of Jordan Peele’s popular works such as ‘Us’ and ‘Get Out’, I was naturally curious about his new movie that released in 2022 called “Nope”. The title of the film itself was alluring to me, it brought up a sensation of curiosity and confusion wondering why it was named in such a way. The word ‘nope’ in general brings up such a sensation of finality and dismissal that I wonder what is being denied within this film. 

The main story begins with OJ and Emerald’s father being killed by a coin falling from the sky which is what initiates the siblings’ curiosity into UFOs. The two decide they want to capture it on film and sell it to Hollywood to become rich. Early on we learn that Emerald and OJ are related to the first man ever to be on film, a black jockey whose name was lost to history for an extended period. Not wanting to be erased, Emerald strives for infamy for the sake of her great-great-great-grandfather.  

At the same time this is happening, former child star ‘Jupe’ or Ricky is using OJ’s horses to draw the UFO out of the desert to be used as an attraction for his new show. Now for our cold-opening as it connects to young child-actor Jupe. The film begins with a shot of a chimpanzee soaked in blood, sitting behind a couch on a film set.  

We learn later in the film that Ricky was a child on a show called Gordy’s Home, a sitcom involving a live chimpanzee. The chimp is startled by the sound of a helium balloon popping and proceeds to maul its co-stars other than Ricky who escapes and hides. Ricky in his later years uses his trauma to make money, even making a room of items from Gordy’s Home to sell the horror of the event that scarred him. 

This thirst for infamy and fame is also what draws the alien to Ricky as previously said as he uses horses to bring the alien to his attraction as the latest item to sell. Ricky never learns to respect the dangers he plays with and is inevitably consumed by the alien along with everything he worked for, leaving only the horse still standing.

When the ‘alien’ appears which Jupe quite pointedly dubs ‘The Viewer,’ Emerald and our cast of characters see this as a chance to skyrocket through Hollywood by catching it on camera. Thus begins our simple yet convoluted story. 

To be frank, Nope is a monster movie with intense sociopolitical commentary about media attention. In one of Peele’s interviews, he refers to wanting to make the film itself a ‘spectacle’ to counter ongoing public fears about the future of all film. The word ‘Spectacle’ itself is mentioned multiple times throughout the film, and personally I drew connections to when OJ asks his sister “what is a bad miracle called.”  

The use of the word ‘spectacle’ feels deliberate to the plot as well as spectacle often is used when someone is putting on an act or performing or creating something- which our lead characters spend a lot of time during this film doing.  

Emerald is an actor, director, producer, tailor, horse trainer- you understand my point, who sees herself as becoming something more- becoming something documented. Emerald herself wants to be a spectacle. She wants to be watched by someone, which is mentioned early in the film as she talks about her father not seeing her from the window but her brother turning his head to watch her from the ground. 

The film itself is about the filmmakers want to take up space within the universe- said by Jordan Peele himself in an interview. The act of spectacle, whether good or bad if viewed, inevitably takes up space within minds and history regardless of moral stipulations.  

I thought the film was deeply intriguing and found its message guttural to the state of our current society- but also fun to watch as a simple monster movie if you ignore the message laying between the lines.  

Overall I rate it a 8.5/10