Jordan Peele has now become extremely well known after the box office success of his 2017 directorial debut, Get Out, and for his acclaimed horror movie just two years later, US. Now he's back this year with another must-see, the science-fiction horror film Nope, which had the highest opening weekend of an original movie.
Peele is now well-recognized as one of the greatest horror directors of recent years, and is known for being extremely metaphorical with his narratives and for leaving the audience to their own imagination the majority of the time (especially with US, where there were many speculations amongst fans of how the ending could be interpreted). Sure enough, Nope followed suit with the symbolism and allegorical substance, though this time his film had everyone questioning the plot and themes of the movie, sometimes with frustration and disappointment.
Explaining Nope, if Possible
Before we get into the divisiveness around the film, let's introduce Nope a bit. Peele has a great cast yet again for movie, which saw the reunion of Peele and the star of Get Out, Daniel Kaluuya, who has earned himself a fantastic reputation (and an Oscar). Kaluuya plays OJ Haywood in Nope, which follows two siblings who run a California horse ranch (with a great Keke Palmer, who was most recently in Lightyear, as OJ's sister); after the death of their father, the brother and sister discover something quite sinister lurking in the sky. Meanwhile, there's a '90s sitcom, a chimp, and a ridiculous cinematographer.
Of course, as to be expected from Peele, his film had some good scares, funny moments, and a incredible imagery, but audiences weren't ready to be as confused and in the dark as this film made them feel. There is certainly a difference in opinion on the ending and meaning of this movie, just as in US and his versions of The Twilight Zone and Candyman, but could Nope be his most divisive and polarizing movie yet?
Is Nope Just Too Confusing?
With the release of Nope, viewers are still quite unsure what they just witnessed and if they even liked it; it seems as if everyone who has seen the film has a different opinion on it, but Peele always tends to keep his cards quite close to his chest when it comes to explaining the meaning of his films.
While some of us love this about Peele's work, it has generated some anger and confusion in others. We have had this experience with US, so we are used to the 'leaving it up to our imagination' and 'it means whatever we want it to mean' feeling, but there is something slightly 'off,' mysterious, and totally confusing about Nope, with more questions than ever. What's the alien, and what's the point? What does the chimp have to do with it? What was with that TMZ reporter, and that big stupid balloon at the end? Why did the alien turn into complicated sky origami? And, what does it mean? Have those angry fans finally had enough of his metaphor and open endings?
Perhaps we are more interested in what Peele himself believes, and what he was thinking during the filmmaking process, but he doesn't seem to be saying much. Everyone's talking about Nope, but no one knows what to say. The fans who are most satisfied with the movie seem to be divided into two camps -- those people who love speculating and pontificating about intellectual meanings and symbolism, and those who just prefer to go to the theaters, sit down, watch a movie, and enjoy it without having to concentrate on what it all means.
Fans Are Giving Nope A Huge "Yep!"
Whatever side we're all on, there is no denying that Peele's creations are works of art, not just technically and visually but in the sense that he leaves us with plenty to talk about. Surely it is every writer, director, and filmmaker's dream to have so many people talking about your movie -- and it is definitely his intention. To Peele's delight, it is paying off, with audiences discussing Nope on everything from YouTube to NPR; fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts and feelings on what to expect, with reviews like this one:
No matter how divisive and polarizing Nope is, Peele has had an interesting and exciting few years with his film and television releases, making one of the sharpest turns a comedian has taken into dramatic work. He's gained an incredible amount of support, and even if all the reactions from audiences aren't positive, fans still can't wait to see what to expect from his future films.