When siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood inherit their father’s farm after he suddenly passes away, the pair witness something strange in the sky and decide to capture it on camera.
Jordan Peele’s latest invites the audience to question certain aspects surrounding fame, spectacle and what you believe. It’s a change in tone for the director but no less fascinating than his previous films.
Stepping into familiar territory, Peele’s latest film looks at the world of showbiz and it’s ability to consume everything around it. Coming from the perspective of an African American family whose main claim to fame is being related to the guy riding a horse in the first ever moving picture called A Horse in Motion from 1878. They are doing their best to cash in on this semi-fame by running a business which hires out horses for various shoots. Keeping it afloat is Otis Haywood Sr. (Keith David) whose mysterious death comes early on. After his children OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) take over, they continue to struggle and resort to selling multiple horses. One day they both see something in the sky that they cannot explain but decide to try and capture it. They want the Oprah shot. The pair have a blistering dynamic as even with OJ’s apathetic attitude and Emerald’s confident stride, they blend together so well but it’s Palmer who shines. Her assured and upbeat performance makes the film pop.
Set in a local town, cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema has managed to make the small seem big and bleak, with his use of light in wide open landscapes. The dusty dry scenery adds to the desolated feeling of the area, it’s similar to those who can never leave the place they grew up. It’s a place that has become refuge for a former child star Steven Yeun’s Jupe Park who is still traumatised by his previous career. He serves as a window into the animalistic nature of fame, how it can completely take over whether you want it to or not. Much like Peele’s previous films, he has kept the principal cast light with additions such as retail worker, the odd, charming and perhaps over familiar Angel (Brandon Perea) who steals multiple scenes with his awkward flexing. The growling filmmaker in Michael Wincott’s Antlers Holst is brought in to get the money shot and becomes his own behemoth. With the latter, there’s possibly something of Peele’s experience on set where a white man is calling all the shots despite the idea coming from a person of colour.
Taking inspiration from classic films such as Jaw, The Wizard of Oz, The Shining and even something as modern as Arrival, Peele manages to perfectly marry references with his story, as well as horror and sci fi into a homage to blockbuster films. He uses a bloodied pallet in certain shots which increases the horror elements and elevates it along with the Michael Abels score. A mixture of hauting and eerie sounds which crawl on your skin as well as plenty of perfect needle drops. As much of a horror/sci-fi film as this is, it’s also a way for Peele to show appreciation for behind the scenes film crew, who are often the unsung heroes of all TV and film productions. Having been in the business for as long as he has been, it’s obvious to see why. He has a respect for the craft which is clear to see in all of his work, but knows that no one would be anywhere without the work others put in. He may be poking holes into the Hollwood system but there is a great deal of admiration as well.
A different film than what we’re used to from Jordan Peele but just as confident as Get Out and Us. This is a filmmaker who knows what he wants to say and how to say it. Nope shows us how far he’s willing to go to prove that.
4 out of 5.
Keep. It. Reel.
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