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'Nope' is eye-squinting, head-tilting in the manner a dog would

Fri, Jul 29th 2022, 08:21 AM
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"Nope" (Rated B) Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun Genre: Horror/ Sci-fi Where to watch: In theaters Dwight's Rating: There's a small Bahamian component to the new genre-bending/bracketing film "Nope". I'm actually shocked this wasn't more heavily promoted locally. 

 

The lead characters are claiming to be of Bahamian descent, and during a tense scene, “Exuma, The Obeah Man” – the classic music of the late Bahamian great Tony McKay – plays loudly and proudly!
With such cultural implications, this deserves to have had a special opening night red-carpet premiere – at least as much as films with 007 or Harry Potter or any other picture with no mention at all of the country have had.
Those brief moments serve as a special treat in what is an otherwise eye-squinting, head-tilting (in the manner a dog would) experience that elicits the gamut of emotions.
“Nope” is the highly-anticipated sci-fi and horror film from Oscar-winning screenwriter Jordan Peele (“Get Out”) that has a Western theme, among others, and at once feels like several movies you’ve seen before, and like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
Two siblings (Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) who run a California horse ranch discover something wonderful and sinister in the skies above, while the owner of an adjacent theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon.
This is certainly a very interesting film. Peel deserves an “A” for effort. “Nope” looks good. It sounds good. It is well-acted. It’s got some moments that’ll make you scream and shout, as all good horrors should.
The cast really shines. Oscar-winner Kaluuya would probably deserve to be up for awards if he were playing someone just crossing the street. He’s authentic and believable in everything he does.
Palmer proves to the world why she’s so incredibly popular on social media. There seems to be little she can’t do. And when she commits to a character, she goes all in. This could represent a significant turning point in her career.
And relative newcomer Brandon Perea’s future also looks bright.
But if you’re like me, while you’re watching this, there are going to be some nagging questions.
That’s because these characters aren’t your typical dumb teens in a horror/slasher flick. Actually, they’re all pretty intelligent with some unique skills. And while at the basic level, the premise makes sense, you’ll find yourself asking, “does this ‘really’ make sense?”
Other questions follow: Do you understand the real motivations of these characters? Why would you really do what they did? Would you have stayed for the reasons they’re saying they stayed? What was the point of the other stuff that happened?
And then more unsettling questions keep coming: Is this not in the same league as Jordan Peele’s other movies? Am I missing something? Am I too dumb to get it? Do I need to watch this again? Do I care?
But hey, what a treat to hear Bahamian music in a horror picture about aliens!

The lead characters are claiming to be of Bahamian descent, and during a tense scene, “Exuma, The Obeah Man” – the classic music of the late Bahamian great Tony McKay – plays loudly and proudly!

With such cultural implications, this deserves to have had a special opening night red-carpet premiere – at least as much as films with 007 or Harry Potter or any other picture with no mention at all of the country have had.

Those brief moments serve as a special treat in what is an otherwise eye-squinting, head-tilting (in the manner a dog would) experience that elicits the gamut of emotions.

“Nope” is the highly-anticipated sci-fi and horror film from Oscar-winning screenwriter Jordan Peele (“Get Out”) that has a Western theme, among others, and at once feels like several movies you’ve seen before, and like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

Two siblings (Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) who run a California horse ranch discover something wonderful and sinister in the skies above, while the owner of an adjacent theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon.

This is certainly a very interesting film. Peel deserves an “A” for effort. “Nope” looks good. It sounds good. It is well-acted. It’s got some moments that’ll make you scream and shout, as all good horrors should.

The cast really shines. Oscar-winner Kaluuya would probably deserve to be up for awards if he were playing someone just crossing the street. He’s authentic and believable in everything he does.

Palmer proves to the world why she’s so incredibly popular on social media. There seems to be little she can’t do. And when she commits to a character, she goes all in. This could represent a significant turning point in her career.

And relative newcomer Brandon Perea’s future also looks bright.

But if you’re like me, while you’re watching this, there are going to be some nagging questions.

That’s because these characters aren’t your typical dumb teens in a horror/slasher flick. Actually, they’re all pretty intelligent with some unique skills. And while at the basic level, the premise makes sense, you’ll find yourself asking, “does this ‘really’ make sense?”

Other questions follow: Do you understand the real motivations of these characters? Why would you really do what they did? Would you have stayed for the reasons they’re saying they stayed? What was the point of the other stuff that happened?

And then more unsettling questions keep coming: Is this not in the same league as Jordan Peele’s other movies? Am I missing something? Am I too dumb to get it? Do I need to watch this again? Do I care?

But hey, what a treat to hear Bahamian music in a horror picture about aliens!

 

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