Movie Review: Nope

 

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.

You know, for couple years, i've never done a review a movie made by Jordan Peele, well ok, i did mentioned him in Toy Story 4 where he played Bunny, one of comedic duo with Ducky. But im talking about him being a filmmaker, and surprisingly what i checked in, i saw some of his movies are pretty good from Get Out to his rebooted sequel of the first Candyman (ignoring 2 installments), so this will be my first taste of one his film that came out this year.

"Nope" is 2022 western, sci-fi horror film that written, produced and directed by Jordan Peele and co-produced by Ian Cooper.

When i first heard the title of the movie, i was highly suspicious about the title, thinking that this is gonna be like a horror comedy film, thinking it will be either interesting or a stupidest film ever by a familiar filmmaker and actor, but when the trailer shows it, it surprises me that it looks not bad, but though its some sort of supernatural horror, but its more like dealing with UFO. According to Jordan Peele, he came up the idea about the concern from the future how we go outside based on our struggle from the virus that we still fighting to either stay home or vaccinated, but instead of dealing from the virus, but rather dealing something from the sky, which he took an inspiration of various classic films like King Kong, Jurassic Park and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as well as anime like "Neon Genesis Evengalion", mainly the aliens from the sky called "Angels".

So, with all the said, will this film be safe to go outside, or is this film not suitable from something from the sky?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

For a movie about dealing with unidentified object, it sounds like a unique story on its concept, but if the writing could’ve worked.

The movie begins via stage show with a chimpanzee nearly covered in blood from the incident, but then we cut to the ranch of the Haywood family, where they training horses for movies and shows, but all good things going down (literally) where the father Otis Haywood Sr. got killed by a drop of coins, leaving his kids Otis Jr. (or OJ for short) and his sister Emerald (or Em for short) take over their business. While they’re working for training horses and selling to the theme park operator of “Jupiter’s Claim” named Ricky "Jupe" Park, they witnessed something from the sky that makes electricity fluctuating, some horses distraction and some disturbing screaming of agony, believing its a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object), its up Haywood sibling to dealing with the UFO once and for all.

I find the story itself is typical, just a main characters dealing with the UFO that trying to kill somebody, but it has a unique twist and the idea is pretty cool for what they’re going for, especially for the action. But im not gonna tell about the movie’s twist to preventing spoiler.

However, despite the effort for the story, but the downside is the writing, like i said, i may like the movie’s plot, the twist what they give us, but sometimes, the writing’s execution could’ve gone better that it’s either trying or didn’t make any sense, which is the main weakness for the movie’s writing. For example, there’s a moment where Jupe shared his backstory how he had a incident show of chimpanzee brutally attack and killing some actors, pretty scary and brutal, but does this one have to do with the plot? The answer is... Nothing. Meanwhile, the jokes are... Mixed, sometimes i a chuckle, but others... Doesn’t work well.

While the writing isn’t the best, but we can give a credit for the idea of its story.

The Presentation

For a movie with the budget of $68M, it looks pretty good for say the least.

For starter, the filming location is beautiful one desert Agua Dulce in Los Angeles County, California, which is the only place that it takes place in filming, minus the studio scene at Burbank, California for using Fry’s Electronics, which sadly, the store was shut down last year from the effect of the spreading virus from 2020 (Yeah, its one of those business that got victimized from the virus), meaning not only they used the name, but also rebuild the store in studio from scratch in Burbank. Interesting note, they use a specialized 65mm IMAX camera with Kodak film, making it the first film with the use of this format.

As foe the designs, the set in the Haywood’s home look pretty good to film in a cabin (probably made from scratch) with decoration and stable with unique settings. Aside for the aforementioned Fry’s Electronics from scratch, there’s also the Jupiter Claim that its a pretty nice and nearly colorful looking theme park. Another unique design its the costumes, the costume designs are made to be based on certain characters personality, mainly for the “Method Approach” for certain inspirations from the 90’s style, as well as The Goonies from 1985. And as for UFO (btw, it was named “Jean Jacket”), im not gonna spoil about it from the twist, but i gotta say, i though its a generic flying saucer, but it’s gotten interesting throughout the movie, in fact, they took some elements of Jean Jacket for its design like sea creatures such as jellyfish, octopus and squid, and even Angels from “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, damn, probably another reference form Evangelion in my review. The Jean Jacket is done with a combination of practical effect to CGI, which is pretty good for what they’ve done, they also using a chimpanzee that rather than using a real chimpanzee, it was obviously done with CG, its pretty easy to nice that he looks rather face to some movement or even the detail, not a best nor realistic appearance of chimpanzee.

As for the climax, its quite of suspenseful and probably disturbing based on the incoming of the UFO from fluctuating electricity, a scream of agony and the UFO’s speed. Of course, there are a couple of jumpscare to some part that i could either predicted or out of nowhere, but sometimes, there could be some fake jumpscare or one time, a stupid kids pulling a prank to our main hero (Yup, its one of those horror cliché). Plus, this movie is also having a blood bath, ranging from OJ’s father’s death from coins to a pouring a blood from the air, quite of bloody UFO movie ever, eh?

While there’s some have an easy clichés as well with questionable CG, but the movie’s presentation are pretty good looking of its setting, designs and the effects.

The Characters

When it comes to the movie’s characters, there’s not a lot of characters (for the most part), but has a nice casting in modern movie.

First is our main hero Otis Haywood Jr, aka OJ (played by Daniel Kaluuya), a main kid after his father died to taking his father’s footstep. I find him fine protagonist, he’s a near silent main hero for his sad experience since he lost his father from coin drop of death, while he has emotion for his struggling from the past, but like i said, the writing could’ve gone better for his personality and development, but to his credit, Kaluuya did a great work of his role, and this is the second time he's been in Jordan Peele’s movie, the first time he;s been with is “Get Out”, which it made a breakthrough both Peele and Kaluuya. Huh, maybe il review Get Out in the future.

Next we have Emerald “Em” Haywood (played by Keke Palmer), she’s OJ’s tomboy sister who likes to bringing fascination from the past history with horses in media back then and occasionally being a party girl. She’s basically trying to be a humor character in the movie, which she’s fine too, but like i said, the writing could’ve gone better for her humor dialogue in the movie. While Palmer did a fun work of her role, but again, the writing’s execution is pretty weak.

After that, we have Ricky Park, aka Jupe (played by Steven Yeun), a former child actor turned into a theme park owner for probably quitting his acting career from the incident. I find him somewhat unique, despite he’s being somewhat playful for his theme park, but he’s actually have a nice development how he had to changing his career from a chimpanzee incident. However, he could another one of those clueless owner that he may or may not realizing there’s a UFO on the loose and SPOILER ALERT, he’s unfortunately got victimized. Sucks for him, but hey, at least Yeun did a good work of his role.

Then we have Angel Torres (played by Brandon Perea), a Fry’s Electronics salesman who helps our main heroes with gadgets like cameras and others for sighting a UFO, as well as giving OJ a plot development about the UFO. I find him also fascinating, but in ok way, he’s basically helping our heroes to figuring out about the UFO to catch in view and probably saving the world. Despite some writing flaws, at least he gave us a plot development to dealing with (for the most part) and Perea did a good job of his role.

And we have Antlers Holst (played by Michael Wincott) a renowned cinematographer who’s aware of unknown sights what he had heard, including the UFOs. He may sounds like he refuses at first,but eventually accepting to dealing with. While its nice to have a cinematographer about the UFO, but i find him ok, since he’s just there to help our heroes dealing with UFO too, he’s obvious passable, but Wincott did a good work of his role.

As for the rest of the characters, there aren’t as special, they just showing up, there’s Amber Park (played by Wrenn Schmidt) who’s Jupe’s wife, Nessie (played by Barbie Farreira) who’s Torres’s co-worker in electronic store, and Ryder Muybridge (played by Devon Grave) who’s a paparazzo A-Hole in the climax.

While the writing is the problem that i mentioned before, at least some characters and the casting are pretty good.

And now for my final opinion of this film.

Overall, Nope is a pretty good film, but not as perfect, the story, the setting and the idea is a good concept, the presentation looks incredible (for the most part) and the characters, despite some minor development, but at least they have a nice casting and some good development.

What makes this not perfect enough, its the problematic of the writing that either flat out give us some filler, something that may or may not make any sense, some obvious clichés and the chimpanzee’s use of CG is noticeably cheap.

It may or may not be Jordan Peele’s greatest work, but at least il give him a credit to make something different about this. This is the film that im sure some of you you’ll love this movie. As for me, while i liked it, but could’ve gone better, you can recommended this movie if you like, but me, i considered a recommended movie, but not too perfect as “Get Out”.

For my rating, im gonna give this one a 7/10.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.