The Hub’s Entertainment Watch List: Nope
Fans of Jordan Peele and the sci-fi horror genre are likely to enjoy his most recent film, “Nope.” The film was released in theaters on July 22, 2022, and made $171.2 million at the box office. Nope is now available for viewers to enjoy on the streaming platform, Peacock.
Comedian, actor and filmmaker, Jordan Peele teamed up with Hoyte van Hoytema to bring audiences a modern sci-fi thriller with a bit of a comedic twist. Peele is behind other films including, “Candyman,” (2021) “Us” (2019) and “Get out” (2017). Get Out’s breakout star, Daniel Kaluuya also serves as one of the main characters in Nope.
Kaluuya plays Otis “OJ” Haywood Jr., the son of Hollywood’s only Black-owned horse training business. His sister Emerald Haywood is played by actress Keke Palmer. The duo is left in charge of their family’s ranch after the mysterious death of their father and an unidentified device (referred to as Jean Jacket) is stationed above the town of Agua Dulce, California.
OJ and Emerald quickly learn that they are not alone on the ranch and begin to witness some otherworldly encounters. The two team with a tech-security wiz, Angel Torres (Brandon Perea), and an unpersonable but experienced cinematographer, Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott). Together the group works to capture the perfect shot of the space device hovering over the family’s California ranch.
In addition to Torres and Holst, the audience is introduced to several other notable characters. The film opens with a scene of “Gordy The Chimp,” and his story is later explained in the film. Viewers also get to meet Ricky “Jupe” Park (Steven Yeun), who purchases horses from the Haywoods and knew Gordy the Chimp from his work as a child star. Park encountered the unidentified space device during his time in Agua Dulce as well.
Nope leaves viewers to explore their own thoughts on what may or may not exist beyond this realm. Peele is clearly not the first person to make a film about extraterrestrials interacting with the earth, but he incorporates comedy and cultural references to take the audience on a journey of exploring the unknown.
