Nope is deceptive. On the surface, you have a cool, modern horror sci-fi horror movie that has mainstream appeal. Based on that alone, I give it 9/10. Cinematography, sets, setting, performances, soundtrack, story, and everything else you might want out of a movie are expertly done. Nope is nothing short of a modern John Carpenter movie, the kind he made in his prime. These superficial things are only the tip of the iceberg, however. Nope is a deep movie. At its core, Nope is a spiritual movie dressed up as sci-fi/horror. It's a story of a brother and sister trying to keep a family business together in a crazy, declining world. There are themes of loss, struggle, triumph, connectedness, and redemption. The neat trick here is that all of this feels genuine and relevant. Nope is art.
In addition to being a competent John Carpenter movie, David Lynch is also an obvious influence. I defy you to watch the diner or The Cowboy scene from Mullholland Drive and deny it would be right at home in Nope. As a life-long David Lynch fan, let me tell you, not many people can pull this style off. Sometimes David Lynch can't even pull it off. This style of movie-making goes for a primal, visceral response over traditional storytelling. I can only think of a handful of movies where this has been done well, and Nope is one of them. Much as I'll always love Mullholland Drive, Nope managed to pull those savage responses out of me, and also tell a John Carpenter story. I mean... I just... HOW DO YOU EVEN DO THAT?? Clearly, Jordan Peele is a wizard.
To some extent, you must have an appreciation, even love, for David Lynch and John Carpenter movies to fully appreciate Nope. Not only that, Nope is a movie for people who like to think about what they just watched. If it bothers you to not have everything clearly explained and understood, if you don't have any need for viewer agency in what you watch, Nope might fall a little flat for you. If, on the other hand, you are a fan of John Carpenter and David Lynch, and like deep, thought-provoking movies, Nope may instantly become a classic for you, as it did for me. This is modern movie-making at its best, and I haven't been this excited about a movie since seeing Pulp Fiction for the first time. 10/10.
In addition to being a competent John Carpenter movie, David Lynch is also an obvious influence. I defy you to watch the diner or The Cowboy scene from Mullholland Drive and deny it would be right at home in Nope. As a life-long David Lynch fan, let me tell you, not many people can pull this style off. Sometimes David Lynch can't even pull it off. This style of movie-making goes for a primal, visceral response over traditional storytelling. I can only think of a handful of movies where this has been done well, and Nope is one of them. Much as I'll always love Mullholland Drive, Nope managed to pull those savage responses out of me, and also tell a John Carpenter story. I mean... I just... HOW DO YOU EVEN DO THAT?? Clearly, Jordan Peele is a wizard.
To some extent, you must have an appreciation, even love, for David Lynch and John Carpenter movies to fully appreciate Nope. Not only that, Nope is a movie for people who like to think about what they just watched. If it bothers you to not have everything clearly explained and understood, if you don't have any need for viewer agency in what you watch, Nope might fall a little flat for you. If, on the other hand, you are a fan of John Carpenter and David Lynch, and like deep, thought-provoking movies, Nope may instantly become a classic for you, as it did for me. This is modern movie-making at its best, and I haven't been this excited about a movie since seeing Pulp Fiction for the first time. 10/10.