Breaking far out of his longstanding comedic persona, filmmaker Jordan Peele has carved out a niche for himself with creative, genre-bending horror films such as Get Out and Us in the last few years. With Nope — his upcoming sci-fi mystery — drawing in critical reviews, we’re more than hyped to see where Peele takes us next.
The film, which is set to premiere this weekend, follows the story of OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer). After a freak accident that kills their father, the two siblings set off on a quest to capture video evidence of UFOs or unidentified flying objects, aiming to profit from the unusual family death.
The story only gets stranger from there on, as Angel Torres (Brandon Perea) and documentary filmmaker Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott) join the fray as a weird-as-hell alien encounter takes over the barren western landscape they call home.
Much of the film’s promo material is intentionally vague and mysterious, drawing in plenty of speculation from fans and critics alike, the latter of whom managed to get their hands on the film, and have almost unanimously sang praises of Peele’s latest flick:
Karl Delossantos for Smash Cut
“NOPE is Jordan Peele’s Jaws. A chopped, screwed, and depraved homage to the summer blockbuster. There are some stunning anxiety-inducing, white-knuckled suspense pieces that had my heart racing. Fans of Get Out and Us should expect something entirely different, but just as visceral and thought-provoking. I’m still parsing though it myself.”
James Janisse, Rebecca Chelsea for Dead Meat
“A refreshing, original movie that I’m eager to see again — hopefully in a theater, since it looks and sounds great on the big screen. Real fun sense of discovery to it. Steven Yeun’s character’s backstory was very unsettling and scary. While it does have some scary and disturbing moments, I’d say tone-wise it’s actually very close to Tremors and Jaws.”
Perri Nemiroff for Collider
“A trippy, terrifying sci-fi Western that also rocks a fascinating collision of big screen and real-world spectacle. Jordan Peele is just a damn master at delivering a full experience while sending you on your way with a myriad of questions to explore via conversation & rewatches. The visuals are breathtaking — and likely left me skeptical of clouds.”
Chris Killian for Comicbook.com
“Nope is nothing like what you’d expect. An entertaining head-scratcher, equal parts confusing and terrifying and, like most of the films by Jordan Peele, offers layers you likely won’t peel back in one sitting. What I enjoy most about Peele’s work (including Nope) is the subconscious nightmarish tone, like a bad dream you know you’re in but once you wake up, you feel like your brain was trying to tell you something else. There really isn’t anyone making horror like him.”
Apart from appreciation for Peele’s filmmaking talent, most reviewers shone light on the terrific acting on display in Nope. A major standout was Palmer, for whom this film might be her best role yet, displaying great chemistry with her co-star, Daniel Kaluuya. Another interesting highlight was Michael Wincott, who’s iconic raspy voice led to several iconic villainous castings back in the ‘90s.
Excited for the film? Catch it in theatres on July 22nd, releasing worldwide.
(Featured Image Credits: Universal Pictures)
