“Nope” the ultimate suspense
August 23, 2022
Jordan Peele has struck it again with his most recent film, “Nope,” starring Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, Steven Yeun and, Brandon Perea. The film subverts the usual depiction of aliens and westerns while delivering to audiences a critical lens to view exploitation within the film industry and its lasting effects.
The film shifts away from conventional scare tactics within horror films and character tropes. Instead, it uses suspense and subverts the usual horror characters fates that end up leading the cast to victory.
The story begins with O.J.’s, (Kaluuya), father’s death as O.J. must now must take over the family business of a horse supply company for film and television. As the family business fails to keep afloat, O.J. and his sister, Emerald (Palmer), concoct a plan to make money by attempting to film aliens after an alien appears on the family ranch.
“Nope” twists our usual understanding of extraterrestrials and UFOs, or unidentifiable ariel phenomenon (UAP), on its head as we watch this brother and sister’s desperate attempt at filming aliens as havoc breaks loose around them.
Jordan Peele has proven himself to be a master director of suspense even comparable to the late great Alfred Hitchcock in the way he withholds the monster and the gore from the audience.
The audience does not see the actions of the heinous monster but they sure hear it. And that makes it all the more terrifying.
The instrument of the use sound to convey violence is evident in this one scene that depicts Gordy the chimpanzee as he goes on a rampage on set every time a balloon pops, filling the audience with a sense of terror and suspense.
Jordan Peele and his spectacular cast has found a way to convey absolute terror with the minimum amount of gore on camera.
Jesus Rosales • Aug 23, 2022 at 10:45 pm
Excellent review. Perfectly nailed it. Saw “Nope” twice so far. Most creative horror movie I’ve seen in while.