Jordan Peele's first major motion picture, Get Out, was a massive success. Following its release, Get Out was named the greatest script of the 21st century by the Writer's Guild of America. And the world was sold on his brilliance. Peele's work displayed mastery because he had a unique ability to craft social commentary into something uniquely horrifying. Astoundingly his product had sticking power. Crowds debated the subtle nuances of his artistry in exploring hot-bed social topics in Get Out for weeks. And the box office numbers spoke for themselves.

According to a 2017 issue of Forbes:

"Get Out was the highest-grossing movie ever for a feature debut for a writer/director of an original screenplay."

Peele was the director to watch for more reasons than one. With intense pressure to duplicate his initial success, the filmmaker went to work creating another terrifying narrative, Us. Given his earlier success, all eyes were transfixed on Peele. Could he do it again? Remarkably, he used his positioning to his advantage. However, Us was different; the message was not as pointed as Get Out and left many wondering about Peele's intent. What was the more significant subtext of Us?

Nevertheless, following Peele's second work, one thing was sure his creations had depth, and they kept people talking. Us more than confirmed Peele had something special. In a sea of creatives, Jordan Peele stood out. It can be said that Peele's creative bent lifted social conscious horror center stage. According to MSN:

"Peele, who won an Academy Award in 2018 for Get Out's original screenplay, has brought industry prestige to a historically overlooked genre."

And the world hungered for more. Finally, Peele was on the radar of critics and viewers alike. Given the director's acclaim after merely two massive showings, some wondered if the novice director could be the next great Alfred Hitchcock.

Related: Why Nope Further Solidifies Jordan Peele's Status as one of the Greatest Horror Directors

The spotlight soon swung back in Peele's direction when news of his newest project spread. Fans were rapt with anticipation. What would the director's latest vision render? More importantly, what subversive messages would be hidden behind the horror reels? Lips were sealed. However, Peele managed to drive the intrigue with his bread crumb teasers. The only information leaked was a solitary word Nope, which had the imagination running. Peele maintained that energy until a few weeks before the release when he sat down to drop a few additional hints.

Peele on Nope

Horse floating in Nope from Jordan Peele
Universal Pictures

According to Peele, like his other films, Nope, too, was symbolic, a metaphorical representation. Peele relayed in his interviews he wanted to create a spectacle, and Nope was the result. More than that, Nope was a commentary on humanity's fascination with phenomena. On another level, as Time notes, Nope was primarily a parable about the power of cinema; Nope is about movies and Jordan Peele's fans.

As many fans know, cinema has an unrivaled ability to create spectacles that pull attention away from things of substantive value. For example, one of the most salient points mentioned in Time, regarding Nope and characters OJ and Emerald:

"For characters battling a giant sky monster eating people, they spend an awful lot of time primarily worried about… filming it."

Nope: Dissecting the Ending

Jordan Peele's Nope Final Trailer - UFO
Universal Pictures

At the film's end, Peele reels his audience into the action. Cameras are trained on OJ and Emerald and their battle against the monster. The audience sees the epic of man vs. supernatural play out on the surface. Viewers are engrossed in the struggle hoping for an outcome. For some, their bets are on the siblings; for others, it's on the monster. Finally, there is a semblance of relief as the struggle ends.

Related Link: Jordan Peele Tells Us What to Expect From His Future Films

Moviegoers get their resolution. Emerald obtains the Oprah shot, and the alien form is defeated. In the distance, the silhouette of a figure that one can assume is OJ looks on. By all means, it's a happier ending. The spectacle is over; everyone goes home with some resolve, although not all questions are answered. And the more pointed question is, does that matter? Do people care what happens beyond that?

A Deeper Subtext

Nope Cast
Universal Pictures

There is a deeper subtext here. While the viewer's eyes are fastened on what they see or what is looming and large, they miss the more salient points. This battle is more significant than OJ and Emerald's fight against a UFO. They are not merely fighting to survive a monster; they are fighting to survive in the world. This film is about what must be sacrificed to be seen. As Time again notes:

"Securing the Oprah shot would cement the Haywoods' place in history—which should have been established, given the family lineage."

What is horrific are the lengths these two must go to in order to demonstrate their worth in the world? It shouldn't take an Oprah shot to prove you exist, that something is real, or that you mean something. Yet, it does for these two and who they are in the world. Sadly the hype of a phenomenon draws more attention than the people and their authentic experiences in their world. In fact, Angel and the others lost along the way are almost forgotten by the film's end.

As Peele told Time:

"It's [NOPE] about existing. It's about acknowledging the people who were erased in the journey to get here."

After the world has consumed and had its feel of entertainment at the behest of others, what's next? Of course, in the grand scheme, Emerald and OJ's existence in the world only mattered because of the sensationalizing of their experience. So that's something to chew on.

Peele masterfully uses a spectacle to create a spectacle. He proves his point through his concept and the promotion of Nope. Unfortunately, humanity is drawn to exaggerated phenomena and easily distracted from things that truly matter. People are more captivated by the entertainment others provide than what providing that entertainment means. Unfortunately, many will continue to focus on the spectacle Nope itself to take away anything meaningful.