Review - NOPE - Netflix

 If you're looking for something completely different in the science fiction genre, you must watch NOPE, a 2022 American film that was written, directed, and produced by Jordan Peele.

This movie, an interesting mix of science fiction and horror, stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yaun, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea, and Keith David.

Now streaming on Netflix, this film will keep you guessing until you realize what's happening. It's almost like a detective story with bits and pieces of clues that end up giving a picture of what's going on.

Set in the modern west, siblings Otis—OJ Junior— (Kaluuya) and Emerald (Palmer) are horse wranglers trying to carry on their father’s tradition of training and handling horses for film productions.

But there’s something strange going on at their dry-as-a- bone California ranch.

Honestly, I don't want to say too much because the film is mesmerizing as OJ and Emerald, struggling to stay afloat, realize something way out of the ordinary is stalking their ranch.

When their father is struck dead by a small object falling from the sky, everything takes a turn for the worse.

Throw in some secondary characters with their own life crises, an electronics store camera installer, and a documentary film maker, and you have the kind of movie where you know everyone is going to end up dead.

The movie is—I don't want to say slow-paced. I'll say methodical, like when Sherlock Holmes is gathering all the evidence. 

It’s subtle, but it will grab you and make you keep watching to find out what the heck is going on. You have to pay attention to understand what’s actually happening.

NOPE was Peele’s 3rd directorial film. When asked, he said his inspirations were King Kong, 1993; Wizard of Oz, 1939; Jaws, 1975; Close Encountrs of the Third Kind, 1975; Jurassic Park, 1977; and Signs, 2002.

If you think about all of those movies, you'll realize they're all characterized by a sense of wonder and an element of dread.

Released in July 2022, NOPE was a box office succes, capturing $171.1M after a $68M budget. It has been named one of the top 10 films of 2022 by the American Film Institute and has been included in lists of the best science fiction films of the 21st century.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Watch NOPE and come back to this post to leave a comment with your thoughts about the movie.

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