March 10, 2023
3rd watch: Nope written and directed by Jordan Peele
Overview: Jordan Peele, a famous writer and producer for popular movies like Get Out, and Us brings us his first physiological thriller of 2022 with Nope. Peele’s films have consistent themes of questioning reality, which is just what audiences love from Nope.
Summary: The opening scene foreshadows some of the plot, and tells the story of chimpanzee Gordy, who is alone, covered in blood, and slowly staring at the camera. Gordy is the main character of his own sitcom called Gordy’s Home. The start to this movie leaves audiences in shock, but everything will be explained and told through Jupe, one of the main characters further into the movie. We meet horse wranglers OJ and his father Otis. When Otis is struck by a coin from the sky, his horse runs off and leaves Otis to die. Six months later we pan into OJ and his sister, Emerald who are struggling to seek profit and keep up the family name. They meet former carnivalist Ricky (Jupe) Park. Jupe is the child star of the sitcom Gordy’s Home, as told in the beginning, and was the only crew member to survive. As strange things start to occur in the sky, OJ and Emerald turn to Fry’s Electronics to purchase cameras and hopefully catch what is going on. They meet Angel, a quiet but charismatic IT member. Angel, also curious as to the mysteriousness of the sky, helps the main characters set up their cameras and in hope to catch the “alien” terrorizing their small farm. As the plot moves forward, the characters come up with the conclusion that the “alien” is an unknown UFO made of organic matter and devouring parts of the farm. We see this UFO come into play when a gold coin falls from the sky, kills Otis, and his horse that appears in the sky. This alien represents much more than just a land-eating monster, and really has a connection to the black community and police brutality. With OJ, Emerald, and their family being people of color, we see a resemblance to oppressed people in the black community and how with little to no recognition, law enforcement and police officers abuse their power. Although this resemblance is not self-explanatory, Jordan Peele is known to include metaphors and allegories for even the smallest things. The audience can see this analogy through the city people not taking notice of the alien, and their land going to pieces without acknowledgment. As we near the end of the film, a TMZ reporter on a motorbike terrorizes OJ and is blatantly rude. As the reporter goes into the spawn point of the alien, we see him crash in his motorcycle, and be taken by the alien, who characters now refer to as “The Jean Jacket ”. As the UFO travels in masses and begins to expand, we see terror in the faces of many main characters as they believe them and their town will be taken over. In the final scene, we see Emerald take the TMZ reporter’s motorcycle and drive to a coin-operated photo booth, to have proof of the alien, referring to when no one would believe there was anything wrong. As the pictures disperse, a giant balloon released from the carnival’s tents flies into the air and destroys the UFO. These final moments of the film and the most suspenseful and on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments that Jordan Peele uses to bring in the audience and end the movie on a bang.
Final Summary: It goes to show that the mastermind of Jordan Peele continues to make a stand in the film world with his in-depth and meaningful films. Nope is another one of these films, being such a relevant and amazing watch.
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