Since the release of the cryptic trailer for Nope, Jordan Peele fans have been on the edge of their seats waiting to see if the follow up to his 2019 film Us will live up to the hype.
Whether it does or not depends on who is asked.
Expect a resounding no from audiences simply looking for a good scare. They will leave disappointed by the painfully slow-burning, convoluted thriller about strange encounters at a Black-owned ranch that specializes training horses for Hollywood.
The film’s pedestrian stride makes provision for the overflow of stunning aesthetics – which will frustrate those in search suspenseful horror film with a more traditional format and pace.
Written, directed and produced by Peele, Nope is a film curated with filmmakers, cinephiles and critics in mind.
The cinephiles will be left divided. Those with tastes that lean towards imagery, strategic concept diversions and the opportunity for the viewer to draw their own conclusions about the film’s intention and obstacles will consider Nope a triumph. The others will appreciate the care and meticulous attention to detail taken to create a masterful cinematographic effort in addition to the solid performances by the ensemble of actors – but will be underwhelmed at best by the incomplete (and at times seemingly pointless) narrative and character arcs.
Peele made his filmmaking debut with an exclamation point by way of Get Out. With it he changed the game within the mainstream horror genre by incorporating racism and racially charged themes. He followed up with Us, an enjoyable, if serviceable effort that will forever exist in the shadow of Get Out. With Nope, Peele further ascends with the visual elements of his filmmaking. Unfortunately, he also appears to be in a state of regression with respect to story.
Nope is a thriller told in several acts.
The film begins with a jolt and gives viewers the expectation of unpredictable moments of sheer terror at any given moment. But after the first scene, the film slows to a crawl with flashbacks that presented the promise of a delightful scare or a terrifying connection to the main story that never quite land. Back stories and side themes are randomly peeled back – but not completely – during the acts.
But the ensemble of actors fully commit to telling whatever story the viewer decides to take away from ‘Nope.’ Daniel Kaluuya, whose breakthrough role came by way of Peele’s Get Out stars as Otis Haywood Jr., O.J. for short. He resigns himself to keeping the family legacy that includes a piece of cinematic history and a nod to African American’s contribution to it. Kaluuya’s plays O.J. as one of the most indifferent protagonists ever seen on film.
So much so that his indifference feels a bit antagonistic to the plot as it unfolds. But it plays well against Keke Palmer’s portrayal of O.J.’s high strung, hustling little sister Emerald Haywood – who keeps enough irons in the fire to prevent her from fully committing to the family business of Hollywood horse wrangling.
The comedic timing of Palmer played against the deadpan Kaluuya serves up makes for just enough comic relief to provide a temporary escape from the meandering story. The main cast also includes Daniel Perea, Michael Wincott, Steven Yeun with a brief but impactful appearance by Keith David. The ebb and flow of the actors’ chemistry is about the only element that general audiences, devotees to the art of cinema and critics will all find mutually enjoyable.
Jordan Peele’s Nope opened in theatres on Friday, July 22. The film is rated R with a running time of 131 minutes.
