* First off, I want to commend Peele for giving the movie heaping spoonfuls of atmosphere. From the opening chatter of the sitcom turning into unknown shrieks and a chimp with blood-dripping lips, you feel the unease. In fact, every scene with Gordy is terrifying and unsettling, shot to perfection with slow tracking and set shots. It's not completely without rhyme or reason (combined with the grasshopper, but I'll get to that in a minute), but it's just out of left field enough to really jar you.
Then there's the cinematography. Jordan Peele once again takes his time with the shots, establishing location and atmosphere as things not peripheral, but essential to the movie. Often the camera will pan when most directors would choose a cut. The result? Scenes that are allowed to breathe and really stick in one's mind. There are several scenes that I think will stick with me for years, including the house of blood, Gordy, and a great Signs-esque fakeout in the barn. Even the red herrings are given time. The landscapes and night scenes are beautifully shot.
Next, characterization is good. While Daniel Kaluuya plays rather a stoic role as OJ, Keke Palmer steals the show as his sister, Emerald. Right from the get-go you feel her vivacious, carefree vibe, and the movie takes time to show quirks like her randomly complimenting a stranger and impulsively tossing a sour patch kids candy in the shopping cart.
Then there's the sci-fi references that Peele makes in the movie. (Honestly, he said he was inspired by a handful of movies, so I had my eyes peeled. Get it?) The security camera scene is faintly reminiscent of the baby monitor scene in Signs, the twister sucking up people is referencing Wizard of Oz (in addition to an overt reference about ruby slippers on the cell phone), and perhaps the most obvious one, a Jurassic Park rainstorm reference during the thunderstorm alien attack (except it's where the horse go?) One more film that I don't think Peele mentioned referencing but came to mind is Hitchcock's The Birds-the fear of animals turning on humans for no apparent reason. In this movie, the grasshopper blocking the security camera seems to be doing it on purpose, blocking it at the alien's bidding. Gordy goes crazy and eats people, probably prodded by the alien as well. The motif of predators and the food chain is prevalent in the film, and the humans are no longer on top.
Okay, now for the criticism. Major spoilers ahead. At the beginning of what I consider the third act, the UFO is revealed to be an alien entity itself. This slows the momentum and tension of the movie for two reasons-there is no mystery anymore of what the thing is, and there is no possibility of a further reveal of smaller aliens, where they could hide and provide further scares and tension. Once the reveal is made, it becomes no longer a horror movie so much as it becomes a cat and mouse, chase film. The audience is no longer left guessing, and can focus on the one big creature in the sky. It's not that it kills the movie, just slows it down and decreases the increasing suspense and dread in the film. The more the UFO is shown, the less it becomes a spectacle and the more it becomes a bore. Then there's the ambiguous themes in the film. I already mentioned that there's a food chain motif, and I'm sure there are more that would be found with repeat viewings, but immediately I can't think of the overarching theme that ties the film together. Whereas with Get Out and Us the theme and focus of the movie was clear, with Nope Peele seems to put a lot on the plate without committing to any of them. I concede this could change with more viewings, however.
Anywho, I enjoyed the movie, especially the first two-thirds. Oh yeah, and the soundtrack rocks. There's a few needle drops, and music is used to good effect in the film. I'll probably watch it again and try to figure it out a little more, but dang, I wish either the twist was held for longer or not made at all.
Then there's the cinematography. Jordan Peele once again takes his time with the shots, establishing location and atmosphere as things not peripheral, but essential to the movie. Often the camera will pan when most directors would choose a cut. The result? Scenes that are allowed to breathe and really stick in one's mind. There are several scenes that I think will stick with me for years, including the house of blood, Gordy, and a great Signs-esque fakeout in the barn. Even the red herrings are given time. The landscapes and night scenes are beautifully shot.
Next, characterization is good. While Daniel Kaluuya plays rather a stoic role as OJ, Keke Palmer steals the show as his sister, Emerald. Right from the get-go you feel her vivacious, carefree vibe, and the movie takes time to show quirks like her randomly complimenting a stranger and impulsively tossing a sour patch kids candy in the shopping cart.
Then there's the sci-fi references that Peele makes in the movie. (Honestly, he said he was inspired by a handful of movies, so I had my eyes peeled. Get it?) The security camera scene is faintly reminiscent of the baby monitor scene in Signs, the twister sucking up people is referencing Wizard of Oz (in addition to an overt reference about ruby slippers on the cell phone), and perhaps the most obvious one, a Jurassic Park rainstorm reference during the thunderstorm alien attack (except it's where the horse go?) One more film that I don't think Peele mentioned referencing but came to mind is Hitchcock's The Birds-the fear of animals turning on humans for no apparent reason. In this movie, the grasshopper blocking the security camera seems to be doing it on purpose, blocking it at the alien's bidding. Gordy goes crazy and eats people, probably prodded by the alien as well. The motif of predators and the food chain is prevalent in the film, and the humans are no longer on top.
Okay, now for the criticism. Major spoilers ahead. At the beginning of what I consider the third act, the UFO is revealed to be an alien entity itself. This slows the momentum and tension of the movie for two reasons-there is no mystery anymore of what the thing is, and there is no possibility of a further reveal of smaller aliens, where they could hide and provide further scares and tension. Once the reveal is made, it becomes no longer a horror movie so much as it becomes a cat and mouse, chase film. The audience is no longer left guessing, and can focus on the one big creature in the sky. It's not that it kills the movie, just slows it down and decreases the increasing suspense and dread in the film. The more the UFO is shown, the less it becomes a spectacle and the more it becomes a bore. Then there's the ambiguous themes in the film. I already mentioned that there's a food chain motif, and I'm sure there are more that would be found with repeat viewings, but immediately I can't think of the overarching theme that ties the film together. Whereas with Get Out and Us the theme and focus of the movie was clear, with Nope Peele seems to put a lot on the plate without committing to any of them. I concede this could change with more viewings, however.
Anywho, I enjoyed the movie, especially the first two-thirds. Oh yeah, and the soundtrack rocks. There's a few needle drops, and music is used to good effect in the film. I'll probably watch it again and try to figure it out a little more, but dang, I wish either the twist was held for longer or not made at all.