When explored correctly, space terror or the dread of the unknown can work wonders, and the most recent film Nope is a great illustration of how to do it well! Jordan Peele has already established a reputation among horror fans, particularly thanks to his film Get Out, for which he received nominations for Best Director and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
His subsequent feature, Us, which was another indication of his talent as someone who could concoct the ideal horror formula, maintained the standards set by his dream debut. The intriguing trailer for Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw productions’ Nope caused quite a stir, and the actual film is just as enigmatic, fascinating, and enjoyable as you would hope!
In this video, we’ll analyze the film and try to make things clearer for you by figuring out the metaphors at play. There will be some minor spoilers in this section as we also discuss and break down the movie’s climax.
The storyline of Predatory Alien Hunting in a Ranch is explored!
The film opens with a fairly disturbing flashback scene in which a trained chimpanzee who had previously been on a sitcom goes crazy. One of the performers in the performance, Jupe, attempts to hide in anticipation of the worst as the chimp viciously assaults others on the stages. Jupe is saved since it turns out that the chimp does not exhibit any aggressive behavior toward him. When the police arrive and shoot the chimpanzee, its fate is entirely different.
The scene then turns to the present day, and we are taken to an exotic horse ranch called Haywood Hollywood. The owner, Otis Haywood Sr. trains horses for a living and these horses are used in various movies and TV shows. But, over the years, the business has been on a decline, especially with the arrival of CGI, which doesn’t require the same amount of originality during filming scenes.
Otis claims that the ranch has a great legacy, where his great-great-grandfather starred in the iconic ‘The Horse in Motion’ motion picture. But such emotional trivia matters little to the big studio owners, and things become worse for the ranch when mysterious falling debris from the sky ends up killing Otis. His son, Otis Haywood Jr. aka OJ, and his daughter Em inherit the ranch, but they have very different plans for its future.
While OJ wants to keep up the legacy even in these trying times, Em is more realistic and wants to sell it off and try her luck in Hollywood. In this turmoil, the financial woes worsen when they lose a project because of one of their horses that turned violent during filming for a commercial. OJ is now forced to sell off a few of their horses to Jupe, the young actor from the first scene. He has now set up a carnival called Jupiter’s Claim, and the incident with the violent chimpanzee is used to rake up the profits.
Em is willing to sell the entire ranch to Jupe because she somehow feels betrayed by her father, who never taught her how to train horses. She doesn’t feel the kind of connection with the ranch that OJ does, but their short stay in the ranch has some nasty surprises in store for them!
They notice that the electricity keeps fluctuating, and some of their horses behave strangely and even go missing. It is as if there is an unknown presence that continues to spook them, and it doesn’t take long before the siblings figure out the presence of a UFO. It turns out that this mysterious object hiding in the clouds has a predatory nature and preys upon the horses, and it is the same UFO that was responsible for their father’s death!
Back in the day, if you found out such a violent UFO on your ranch, you would probably get as far away from the place as you possibly could! The modern-day youngsters, however, have some other ideas because they decide to film some concrete evidence of the UFO and use it commercially to make a fortune.
They even hire a local electronics store employee named Angel, who sets up an elaborate network of surveillance cameras. However, the plan doesn’t work out as smoothly as they expected because of all the electrical interference from the UFO, and there is no clear footage available for them to exploit.
Meanwhile, Angel comes up with a startling discovery when he figures out that one of the massive clouds nearby is unnaturally stationary, and it provides the perfect hiding place for the UFO. On the other hand, Jupe tries to cash in on the alien threat and he plans to use one of the horses to lure the UFO in front of his audience. The attempt goes horribly wrong, and the UFO devours everyone including Jupe, and the audience present.
This shocking incident makes OJ realize that the UFO is basically the alien creature in itself, and not some kind of spaceship, like they initially assumed. Clearly, the creature has strong predatory instincts, and it only preys on those that look at it. They start calling the alien Jean Jacket, and OJ tries to use some of his horse training knowledge to lure the creature out and get some clean footage.
When another attempt fails they hire a professional, the guy who previously rejected them from the commercial because of a misbehaving horse. This time around, they have the best of technology, IMAX cameras, and some elaborate plans to get the whole thing on video. They still run out of luck when a sneaky trespassing reporter is consumed by Jean Jacket, and Holst meets with the same fate later.
Even his high-end cameras are consumed, and all that OJ, Em, and Angel are left with is the analog camera in Jupiter’s Claim. In another shocking attack, Angel barely survives, and the three get together and try to keep the alien away from one another. After getting some clean shots with the camera, Em unleashes the giant helium balloon characters, which the alien creature mistakenly feeds on.
The balloons explode after being devoured, and Jean Jacked is finally killed. The movie ends with the audience being assured that OJ is fine, and Em prepares to handle the arrival of the media with her highly-valued footage. Clearly, the fortunes are about to turn for the siblings!
The Alien creature explored
The monstrous alien predator that hides in the skies and hunts ruthlessly, devouring the victims, is one of the creepiest faceless monsters that you will encounter. It doesn’t scream or screech, and even as a mute alien entity it manages to strike fear in the hearts of the viewers. Jordan Peele was aware that the visuals would have to be spectacular, and he hired the services of none other than the great Hoyte Van Hoytema, who previously worked in movies like Interstellar and Dunkirk. While you enjoy the nerve-wracking battle for survival, you will be thrilled by the visual delights that the film has to offer!
The alien creature is not exactly evil, but its actions certainly make it a threat for humanity. This giant monstrous flying saucer-shaped creature devours its victims, and it spits out all non-organic matter afterward. This is how Sr. Otis is killed, presumably when the creature was passing above him, and an array of objects rained from the skies.
There is no clear history or origin of the creature, but it is evident that there were victims prior to Sr. Otis as well. It could be interpreted that this alien liked the surroundings of the ranch and set up its new home in the region because of all the easily available prey. We cannot say much about the intelligence of the creature, but if it can decide on easy prey, then it cannot exactly be stupid!
The Subtle Metaphors and Underlying Messages!
When the trailer for Nope was released, many were quick to dismiss it as just another horror flick involving the dark forces or some kind of aliens. However, the ones to trash the trailer as generic failed to account for the genius in Jordan Peele, the man who always leaves a lot to read between the lines. This ambitious project doesn’t spoon-feed everything to the viewer, but a closer observation reveals a lot more than the apparent plot. The sociopolitical commentary is impeccable, and there are plenty of cultural Easter eggs that deserve appreciation. Jordan Peele’s previous movies invoked a lot of analysis from the theorists, and Nope will not be too far behind in this regard.
The director stated in an interview that he came up with the idea behind the movie during turbulent times for cinema, when everyone was skeptical about the future. This seeped into the narrative, and a lot of the things that we see the protagonists doing are simply desperation personified. For instance, the first thing that we started wondering after watching the movie was how these people who were uneasily close to being prey for the alien, worried so much about filming some footage around it.
It simply goes on to show the kind of desperation and panic that creeps into the minds of people struggling to get the magical break to succeed. OJ, Em, and Angel almost make it look like the alien would only exist if they manage to get it on film! Many of their interactions are virtually through screens, and even the climactic moments suggest that they are more concerned about their golden ticket to success than survival!
Is the real monster the one that is so obvious? Well, this is often the most intriguing question in such well-made creature flicks, and the answer to this is somewhat ambiguous. The alien in the movie is certainly not some innocent creature, and this blood-thirsty entity is not something you feel sympathy towards. That being said, the so-called heroes in the movie are by no means perfect. Em is struggling with her identity, and her choices regarding the fate of her father’s ranch lean heavily towards her capitalistic tendencies.
She shows minimal emotions, and her brother who claims to be in love with the legacy also accepts the bait of instant fame by getting the footage of the creature. Almost every character is concerned about their self-interests, and they are simply victims of a broader system that shapes every mind to rush towards a conventional idea of success. This does remind you of classics like Jurassic Park and King Kong, where the underlying theme remained the same!
You also get to see the harsh reality of how quickly humans can transform their tragedies into something entertaining and profitable. The whole storyline featuring Jupe focuses on that, where one of the most shocking moments in his life became his livelihood later. He perished in his attempt to extend this further with the alien creature, and the same thing can be said for the paparazzi that show up and is more concerned about getting a good snap than his own life.
Another noticeable theme in the movie is how heavily the topic of surveillance is covered. If you consider the alien creature constantly observing those on the ground from its hiding place in the clouds, or if you take into account the attempt to catch footage of the alien, the whole thing relies on surveillance.
The boundaries between ethical and non-ethical surveillance are blurred and it is left for the viewers to decide, but it can be said with certainty that nothing escapes the keen eyes of the observant in this movie! While the assertive nature of show business is highlighted quite obviously in the narrative, the part dealing with the surveillance culture is up to your interpretation, so do let us know in the comments below about your thoughts on that.
Marvelous Verdict: This creepy and suspenseful masterpiece is a pure spectacle!
During one of his interviews, Jordan Peele specifically mentioned that the movie Signs inspired him to create Nope. You can see the subtle references and similarities in the general theme, where the suspense levels continue to increase throughout the narrative.
The director does a terrific job of binding the story together even with a limited number of characters. There are no loose ends and everything just blends in towards the end, courtesy of the good writing. When you think of alien movies, one of the first things that come to mind is concerning the appearance of the extra-terrestrial. This movie adds an innovative take to that part, and it is probably for the first time that an entire UFO or flying saucer kind of structure is thought of as the entire alien creature. If this isn’t thinking out of the box, we don’t know what is!
The film doesn’t disappoint in terms of some mesmerizing special effects, and the horror fans will enjoy some truly spooky moments. The one with the murderous chimpanzee is easily one of the most hard-hitting scenes in the movie, and the sheer shock value of the scene makes it stand out among several others.
The Hitchcockian tendency to preserve the suspense and surprise element works wonders, and the brilliance of the cast members like Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, and the others help in translating the vision on screen. The cinematography is out of the world, and visually, the semi-western sci-fi thriller will be enjoyed best in the theaters. We love the subtle metaphors in the story, and this movie certainly steals the show with an artistic attempt to breathe life into the alien horror genre!
A Few Final Words
We have a special place in our hearts for such ambitious projects from talented directors, and even without the biasness, it is safe to say that Nope will be remembered for a long time. The symbolism is on point and the transfixing narrative will be a treat for the horror fans. If you haven’t watched it already, we strongly suggest that you head to the theaters for this masterpiece! Jordan Peele is here to stay!