Creepy-funny and artfully weird? Yep! Terrifying and thrilling? Ahhhh.....
Thriller? Sci-fi? Comedy? Nope (now streaming) creates genre-versy
HARK!
I hear…a genre-versy…
Is it scary?
Nope!
Is it funny–in a weird/dark/twisted way?
Yep!
For some reason, the gifted comic writer-actor-director Jordan Peele has fashioned himself as a “horror” or “thriller” director.
And yet…his latest is far more funny than scary. Creepy-funny, granted.
Nope is dope, in its own meandering way; whatever you want to call it, Peele’s framing is unique and artful. He masters pace like a maestro--or matador--and knows how to put his vision up on the screen.
The movie, according to its synopsis, “follows two siblings, Emerald and OJ (played by Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya, respectively), who run Hollywood's only Black-owned horse training ranch and "discover something wonderful and sinister in the skies above…”
The siblings have cryptic interactions with the neighboring theme park’s owner–a former child actor whose career was ended by a crazed monkey.
Funny, right?
Then there’s the scene where, as the brother’s being chased by nefarious forces, his sister screams, “Run, OJ–run!”
I see what you’re doing, Jordan Peele!
After scarfing down nearly $150 million in movie theater admissions since its July 22 release, Nope made it to streaming services this week. It’s going for $19.99 on Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple, YouTube and elsewhere.
If you’re expecting to be terrified, as some reviews promised–negative. Save your money.
Sure, Peele knows how to build suspense, but–seriously.
One pictures Peele and his old partner, Keegan-Michael Key, smoking up as they watch old sci-fi movies and going:
“This is great! What’s the most ridiculous thing we can think of so you don’t get eaten by aliens?”
“Aaaaah–don’t look at them?”
“Yes!”
“And let’s do something with those weird inflatable people things you see at festivals!”
“Check! Those would scare the crap out of aliens!”
Sigh. If only Key would have been cast as OJ. Watching him stumble through explaining his horse ranch business to some Hollywood hacks–or forcing himself to look away from the spaceship–would have been priceless comedy…
The UFO, by the way?
Very Plan 9 From Outerspace:
Plan B's flying saucer
There are also nods to the Robert Shaw-gets-munched scene in Jaws, Spaghetti Westerns and, of course, George Romero’s crazed chimp in Monkey Shines.
Funny stuff!
This is one that leaves quite a bit open to interpretation, with the producers encouraging multiple viewings to analyze detail. For instance: What do chimps have to do with aliens? Perhaps we’re in Planet of the Apes territory…