Mad Over Stoic Movies – Of spooker Horses

Tis the month of Halloween and cinephiles everywhere are getting their scare on with all kinds of horror movies. Although there’s no dearth of horror films any given year, this year we witnessed a spectacle from the mind of Jordan Peele that quickly became one of my favorites and I’m hoping will surprise you too.

‘Nope’ tells the story of horse ranchers OJ and Emerald Haywood, who experience some unexplained spooky phenomenon in their lonely Californian ranch. When they decide to investigate what it might be they realize that they were dealing with something they were entirely not ready for. If you’ve watched Jordan Peele’s previous works like ‘Get Out’ or ‘Us’ you’ll have a certain expectation as to how the film would be. You can certainly bet that it would be a bonkers story where your predictions might not come true and that there’ll be ample thrills. ‘Nope’ was no different.

‘Nope’ is instead a fantastic tale about the dangers of meddling with stuff you shouldn’t and the consequences it can bear. It’s more of the quiet thrill with built-up suspense so keep that in mind before you gripe with its slightly slower pace.

If you’re looking for a balls-to-the-wall horrorfest then maybe ‘Nope’ is not the right choice.

There’s the main storyline of siblings OJ and Emerald experiencing some weird stuff at their horse ranch. Parallelly running with it is the story of Ricky “Jupe” Park, a former child actor and Western theme park owner, who faced some traumatic experiences during his acting days. Jupe’s separate story ties in beautifully with the story of OJ and Emerald, and their attempts at making money from the weird phenomenon they were experiencing. I watched the film twice. The first time around I had a blast and didn’t pay closer attention to things that might’ve been obvious to others. But surprisingly I did catch a lot of the subtext and foreshadowing in the second round because the film’s story, with all its quirks and symbolisms, actually lays out its themes straight. Right from the quote, you see at the beginning of the film the games begin. It’s up to you to catch it and maybe take a jab at what Jordan Peele was hinting at with this story.

A lot of complaints were levied against the film’s story, accusing it of being both too straightforward and simple and too artistic and esoteric. Having seen the film I’d say that both sides of the criticism are valid. And it’d depend on what kind of perception you went into the film with. You could be a casual moviegoer with no expectations or a hardcore Jordan Peele fan with theories ready. I’d suggest anyone keep an open mind for any film, it’s always best to have no expectations and let the film wash over you. It’d be amazing if every film you were hyped for fulfills that promise but that’s not always the case and it’s best to be cautiously optimistic.

Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer shine in their roles as OJ and Emerald. While Kaluuya is the more serious and stoic character, Keke Palmer is fantastic in her role as the loud and outgoing sister who wasn’t taking shit from anyone. Their performance made their sibling relationship very believable and ultimately made us root for the pair. Brandon Perea as Angel was surprisingly noteworthy in his role and his comedic timing lightened the tense scenes. Steven Yeun with his limited screen time was also great in his role. All in all the cast was on point.

Two technical aspects I should certainly mention were the music score by Michael Abels and the cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema. Usually, you have an idea of how a typical horror film’s score would be. But just as he did with ‘Get Out’ and ‘Us’, Michael Abel’s genre-bending score was perfect for the film. It was both upbeat and eerie at the same time with undeniable influences from Westerns that made for an amazing auditory experience. I couldn’t check out the film in theatres when it came out but now having seen it I sorely regret missing out on it because I would’ve died for Hoyte van Hoytema’s stunning camera work on those IMAX screens. The slow and creepy camera work perfectly accentuated the vibe of the film. Like I said before the pacing is on the slower side but it’s honestly worth the time spent.

With its engrossing performances, amazing camera work, and unique story ‘Nope’ is just the right artsy horror film to intrigue you this year!

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Enjoying a film happens in different ways. There’s always a simple and entertaining way of taking the story at face value and enjoying it for what it’s worth. Or you can dissect each and every scene looking for flaws and symbolism. No matter what category you belong to ‘Nope’ is sure to fascinate you.

My rating: 9/10