The Good “Bad” Miracle Or: The NOPE Review

For Jordan Peele, there are no bad miracles. Three films into his relatively youthful career behind the camera, the former sketch comedian has made the transition to heady-yet-still-mass-appealing filmmaking look easy. Having that enviable talent of managing to pull intriguing plots out of thin air, Peele with just his first two films has yet to miss. Surely, the other shoe must drop at some point, right? With NOPE, the third and undoubtedly biggest film from Mr. Peele, the filmmaker continues to bring together his omnipresent sense of humor and miraculous penchant for discovering the out there idea and mold those pieces into a memorable summer blockbuster.

Outside of his knack for zeroing in on that one “killer idea” for each of his movies, Peele’s visual eye — another reliable aspect of his previous works — also gains strength in the tale of the young Haywood siblings (Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer), an established if fledging clan of Hollywood horse breeders and trainers faced with something big stalking their property. What that thing is is truly too bizarre and out there (in all the senses) to reveal, but take note that Peele manages to accomplish the rare feat of creating something that truly looks and sounds beyond human comprehension — an impressive feat when you think of the more recent horror/sci-fi creations in recent memory.

In the midst of all that, Peele is more than happy to bring together a group of interesting characters in their lovably simple mission of capturing the strange entity on camera for fame and fortune — the fabled “money shot” as many characters excitedly explain. In this idea of getting The Shot, Peele’s script analyzes the cost and impact of any and all who try to find entertainment, fame, or adoration (or all three) through the pursuit of getting that one memorable Shot. That theme slowly emerges among NOPE’s general mystery of what the hell is causing havoc on the isolated Haywood farm, mainly through the side plot of Steven Yeun’s entrepreneurial character; a role that, even with the presence of some truly unsettling flashbacks wonderfully visualized by Peele and cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema’s unflinching camera, still feels a tad extraneous in the grand scheme of the Haywood’s plight.

At its lowest moments, NOPE struggles to blend this “careful what you wish for” theme with that of the Haywood’s own pursuit of getting their money shot. As Peele tells it, the pursuit of that one golden shot should always make one question the ethics, morals, and safety of all involved in front of or behind the camera, but amidst the screams of joy and pumped fists of the Haywood siblings as they do just that, this message can get a bit muddled. But even so, the power of that obvious but provocative theme carries NOPE through those unwieldy moments as we witness a multitude of examples of characters learning the (usually violent) downsides of trying to capture their big event. 

Nonetheless, like his last two works, NOPE sees Peele successfully merging his weighty themes and big set-pieces to form some unforgettable sequences. With an emphasis on the danger, beauty, and terror of the open Californian skies, Peele playfully tangles with tension in vast expanses, where the horror isn’t below or behind you…but above. Even as the film threatens to grow bigger and bigger, NOPE succeeds in the presence of its literal down to earth characters, particularly in the Haywood siblings, OJ and Emerald. Mr. Kaluuya, now assuredly a certified muse of Mr. Peele, puts on a slow-growing performance as the elder Haywood sibling, a steely man of the land suddenly thrust into a bigger spotlight than he’s ready for. With his patented penchant for some great “eye acting”, Kaluuya grants his stoic character some enjoyable and subtle growth as events become bigger, even finding humor in his character’s cool as ice responses to earth-shattering events.

At his opposite is Ms. Palmer as the youngest Haywood, Emerald, an energetic smooth talker who fills in for the energy that her older brother intentionally leaves available. While her character can, in the rare moment, tap back into Peele’s bothersome tic for adding a borderline cartoon-y comedic character, Palmer’s energy and performance manages to bring her character’s most energetic moments back to earth. But when OJ and Emerald slowly but surely come together as the film comes along, Peele and his actors bring a damn charming depiction of siblings figuring weird shit out together. Filling out the Haywood’s rag tag group of Shot catchers is Brandon Perea’s in-over-his-head Fry’s tech guy and Michael Wincott as possibly the world’s coolest and most mysterious movie cinematographer. Not the most fleshed out characters for sure — Wincott’s vague and cryptic cinematographer seems to be a victim of movie trimming — but their performers and the script adds enough eccentricities to make their appearances stand out.

The ideas of NOPE come fast and furious in its establishing first half, where mystery runs amok. But somehow, someway, Mr. Peele has it all come together in the presence of a bombastic finale that blends Western and Sci-Fi iconography with such giddy energy that you can’t help but pump your fist just a tad. Sure, the ending is a little too tidy, but even so it’s nice to see Peele have one of his films end on a lighter note compared to his previous works. Like the best blockbusters, the ones that stand the test of time, NOPE isn’t afraid to challenge the general audience into approaching relatively out there visuals and thought provoking themes. A little miracle in its own way, Peele’s latest displays a filmmaker finding more and more success in the recesses of his imagination.

4/5