After the release of his first two films, 2017’s Get Out and 2019’s Us, one thing became perfectly clear about Jordan Peele as a filmmaker: the guy undoubtedly understands the importance of baking rich themes and abstract motifs into the DNA of his stories. His films are rarely what they initially appear to be, and because of that, they demand our absolute attention and beg us to watch them over and over again.
That’s certainly the case with his latest film, Nope, a though-provoking horror/sci-fi, which digs deep into some underlying observations about the human fascination with outrageous spectacle, just how far people are willing to go to become famous, and the effect unbridled exploitation has on what should be pure and natural.
Sure, that all sounds overtly pretentious and heavy handed, but just watch it and you’ll quickly discover something else about Peele’s films: though a bit difficult to classify as outright horror, they are unquestionably spooky, creepy and even outright scary at times. In the case of Nope, the creep factor comes from its unique blend of horror and science fiction as well as from some deliciously disturbing subject matter. In other words, Nope is simply a whole lot of fun on many different levels.
Since we gathered very little plot information from the film’s rather secretive trailers, I’ve got to be very careful when describing the story. But let’s just say that film is essentially about brother, OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) and sister Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer, Hustlers) and the unexpected way in which the siblings were forced to reconnect after inheriting the legendary horse ranch of their Hollywood animal wrangler father who is suddenly and tragically killed in a freak accident.
The plot eventually reveals the disturbing cause of their father’s demise, and propels the plot deeper and deeper into a mysterious and intriguing outer space conspiracy that carries a similar mystery and intrigue to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Kaluuya, whose OJ is a man of noble character and few words, reunites with Peele for the first time since Get Out in 2017. He represents the moral center of the film while Palmer’s Keke, who at first glance appears to be the polar opposite of her brother, eventually reveals that the two are actually quite connected.
Driven by her obsession with being an influencer, Keke lives much of her life publicly through social media, a fact which plays an integral part of the film’s central theme. You’ll just have to watch it all play out to decide if the message works for you. Both actors absolutely disappear into their roles with wonderfully persuasive performances sure to endear the audience to their characters.
Oscar nominee Steven Yuen, (Minari) also turns in a memorable performance in a secondary plot as the smarmy former child star and Western-themed amusement park owner named Ricky Park who provides a financial lifeline to the horse ranch, and whose backstory adds one of the film’s most disturbing sequences. I’m still struggling to get over it.
Born from the Covid lockdown of 2020 and one of the few positives to come from that debacle, Nope is what happens when immensely creative minds have plenty of idle time to do what they do. It is Peele’s tribute to his childhood adoration for Jaws. With Nope he does for the sky what Jaws did for the open ocean. It is an expansive horror spectacle with an intimately touching emotional core.
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Edition
Home Video Distributor: Universal
Available on Blu-ray - October 25, 2022
Screen Formats: 1.78:1; 2.20:1
Subtitles: English SDH; French, Spanish
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos; English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A
This is Oprah!
Universal treats 4K UHD lovers with a spectacular 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code edition of Jordan Peele's latest sci-fi/horror called Nope.
Included in the two-disc set are a digital redemption code coupon, a handful of deleted scenes, a gag reel, and three making-of type featurettes.
VIDEO
The folks at Universal have done a marvelous job with the 2160p/HDR presentation we get on the 4K UHD disc. Enough good things can't be said about this demo quality transfer. Yes, it's that good.
Peele concentrated on his use of color in the film and, naturally, it becomes a main attraction as they are impressively rendered and stand out against the stark mud tones of the desert setting. Just beautiful!
There is also an impressive depth offered by the HDR function that also allows fantastic details throughout, even in the nighttime scenes, of which there are many.
Also of interest are the iMax elements of the presentation which open up the screen aspect ratio from 1.78:1 to 2.20 throughout the film to match its cinema presentation.
AUDIO
Here's where the movie really comes alive. Select the Dolby Atmos option for your viewing pleasure. You won't regret it. Your room will be completely immersed in the experience. Particularly effective are the scenes involving the alien spacecraft as the upper reaches of the room come alive with sound.
Another noteworthy moment happens as objects fall from the sky in the scene at the 01:19:00 mark. you become the center of a 360 degree dome of sound. Very well done!
Also available are English language Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track, French language Dolby Digital 5.1, as well as a Spanish language Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 tracks.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
If you are a fan of bonus material, then you'll enjoy the extras that accompany this release. Though there is no audio commentary, you'll find plenty to enjoy in either of the three featurettes.
There are also five deleted scenes and a 5-minute long gag reel that round out the bonus materials.
- Deleted Scenes (09:25)
- Gag Reel (05:29)
- Shadows: The Making of Nope (56:05)
- Call Him Jean Jacket (14:22)
- Mystery Man of Muybridge (05:30)
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R for language throughout and some violence/bloody images.
Runtime: 130 mins
Director: Jordan Peele
Writer: Jordan Peele
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya; Keke Palmer; Brandon Perea
Genre: Horror | Sci-fi
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "This dream you're chasing... where you end up at the top of the mountain... it's the one you never wake up from"
Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures
Official Site: https://www.nope.movie/
Release Date: July 22, 2022
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 25, 2022
Synopsis: The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.