Nope (2022): Don’t fear to look at the reaper

2022 • Jordan Peele • 2.20:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓

Directed by Jordan Peele, Nope follows two siblings who inherit their family’s horse-training business in a secluded Californian valley. After a series of inexplicable events in the sky coincides with the death of their father, they begin investigating what may be responsible, hoping to capture it on film while dealing with the dangers posed by the unknown presence.

The film’s narrative is built around the idea that the more you try to give the audience your attention, the more it will try to consume you, and it sets up this metaphor at the periphery of the film industry, among those who have been exploited to the point of death to help others provide maximum entertainment without receiving the respect that their work deserves. Mostly taking place on the ranch of a stoic horse wrangler and his fast-talking sister, who struggle to keep their family business afloat, the story incorporates sci-fi elements into a down-to-earth setting. There, the nights become a theatre of nightmares, until the horror is exposed in all its glory as its appetite remains unsatiated.

Delivering a critique of the entertainment industry and historical erasure and reclaiming the legacy of forgotten Black stunt riders who helped to create cinema, Nope contains references that film buffs will enjoy and terrifying visuals emerging from the desert sky that will make horror fans gasp.

Technical Specs:

• The Story: After a mysterious aerial presence appears over a remote California ranch, two siblings attempt to document the phenomenon, only to uncover a far stranger and more predatory force tied to spectacle, survival, and human obsession with observation.
• Actors: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, Steven Yeun, Wrenn Schmidt, Keith David.
• Director: Jordan Peele
• Year: 2022
• Cinematographer: Hoyte van Hoytema
• Origin: American Cinema
• Aspect Ratios: 2.20:1 / 1.78:1
• Genre: Sci-Fi / Horror