Jordan Peele's third major film, Nope, depending on the lens, the film throws its hat in many film genres: Horror/Thriller, Neo-Western, American, Sci-fi. Nope is a very focused and straight-forward Sci-fi film at its core. This is not to say that the film does not enter socio political conversations like prior Peele movies, but rather provides a modern day depiction of how miraculous events are documented. 22
The must watch film stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer playing sibling duo OJ and Emerald Haywood. The two have taken over their family horse ranch, as they have discovered something wicked and mind-blowing wreaking havoc from the sky As the face mounting financial struggles, and lack of livestock, the duo work together to document and inadvertently protect their horse ranch.
Stemming from its plot, Nope enters the science fiction genre absent of overt micro-aggressions, and indecipherable symbolism, which are unique to "Get Out" and "Us," respectively. Nope, enters the conversation in a much more subtle way, the film contains nuanced symbolism, through its visuals, structure, and constant jarring paradoxes. Peele allows the audience to explore many different avenues in the film, because the main plot is not didactic, but very precise. Peele provides a refreshing origin story of the sibling duo, which sharply allows for the blend of the supernatural phenomenon occurring in Northern Los Angeles County, right outside of Hollywood. Although I would have liked for the story of the Haywoods to be explained more,as their family legacy is only mentioned in conversation, OJ and Emerald as a duo provide a pleasant dissonance to explain how they are uniquely committed to defending their horse ranch and each other.
“What’s a bad miracle? They gotta word for that.” OJ Haywood says this to Emerald following the peculiar death of their father. This statement by OJ foreshadows the rest of the film leading to the grandiose layering of plot events. The series of “bad miracles” that OJ is imagining in the moment are fulfilled as the film unfolds. Unlike prior films, Peele’s symbolism is more obvious in its imagery and opposing connotative language. In the shadows, Peele references significant moments in cinema as important tools in the work of the characters and film.
From a structural standpoint, the film is criticized for the lack of character development, but at almost two (2) hours in screen time, this lack of development is immaterial and realistic in relation to the trajectory of the film. Although the character development is highly debated, there are quotes and title headers throughout the film, followed by the story of a particular animal. This structure reminds the audience that this accumulation of stories are all in conversation with each other implicitly. While it is natural to desire a more developed human character, the point of curiosity of each section were the actions of the bizarre neighbor in the sky and show animals.
In concert, with the “bad miracles,” there are frequent tragedies that will ironically have you mesmerized at what the characters find unfathomable. Through these opposing desire to look and look away from the wondrous gory scenes, looking within itself is an act of resistance for the viewer and the characters. These gory scenes could keep even the most squeamish viewers and characters in a scared and intrigued stupor.
OJ Haywood and Ricky “Jupe” Park, the Haywood’s neighbor, uses the eyes literally and figuratively to show the effects of the literal gaze in the movie and in a socio-political context. The eyes are commonly referred to as the portal to the soul. Peele uses the eyes quite literally at moments to emphasize the significance of what is being viewed. Peele uses the eyes of animals, “Jupe”, and OJ, especially, to demonstrate who has the right to look and who is being looked upon.
The movie is confusing to watch, as you will be encapsulated in the movie's stunning cinematography, while the characters are reclaiming their right to look, whether directly or indirectly. It could be a bit overzealous to imply that Peele demonstrates that the vantage point of minority groups has been historically difficult to document for reasons that are not referenced in the movie but rather in their final quest to capture the creature.
Unlike other Peele films, the symbolism in Nope is not overtly comparative to the Black experience nor trauma but segues into a very possible Black existentialism story. This film gives reverb to those who are included and excluded in the narrative of history, in particularly American history. Entering the highly controversial conversation of Critical Race Theory, Nope gives reverb to how history has been remembered, recorded, and recited with consistent disregard for the viewpoints of those historically disenfranchised. This film is so straightforward that all actions of each character add a unique layer to the story. Because there is no obvious conflict between the creature and humans, how this creature is documented becomes the sole focal point for the audience, ultimately sitting the viewer in the back seat as OJ and Emerald discover what is living in the skies. While some characters are obsessed and intrigued by the unfamiliar phenomenon, Jupe, it is the quarter life crisis of OJ and Emerald that allow for a pragmatic approach to this unfamiliar object. This pragmatic approach reillustrate what apprehension looks like for Black characters particularly in the horror genre, but arguably the science fiction genre as well.