The reviews for Nope are in and critics can't get enough of Jordan Peele's latest horror film.
The highly-anticipated movie is being lauded for its compelling and consistently mysterious story that's pushed along by riveting performances from stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer. CBR's Caitlin Chappell writes that Nope isn't just an excellent entry in Peele's growing filmography, its narrative is totally unique in the horror genre. "Nope is exactly what horror and sci-fi fans have been wanting -- a new story that pushes the boundaries of the genre and film at large," Chappell writes. "It captures the same thrills, tension, and strong characters of movies like Jaws, while also setting itself up to be as iconic as sci-fi movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Alien."
THR's Lovia Gyarkye shared similar sentiments, noting that Nope's cast is an "electric" ensemble that successfully balances the movie's tone between comedy and suspenseful terror despite the shortcomings of the screenplay. David Ehrlich, reviewing for IndieWire, writes that Peele's latest movie is an exercise in "great patience and tremendous craft" that sees its characters move from "one masterful set piece to the next."
While most critics have lauded Nope, Polygon's Robert Daniels was more critical of the movie, writing that Peele is unwilling to "let Nope tell a story beyond winking references." Despite this, the reviewer also specifies that the director is more effective when it comes to the movie's "monster components" but even these are described as "messy."
Nope tells the story of OJ and Emerald Haywood, two siblings that begin to notice bizarre occurrences around their ranch where they train horses. Hoping to capitalize on their discoveries, the pair enlist the help of several members of their small community to obtain evidence of the seemingly extraterrestrial activity. Yet in doing so, the siblings stumble upon something even more horrific than they initially suspected.
Speaking about how he hopes audiences respond to Nope, Peele explained that he wanted viewers to have a very physical reaction to the movie. "The first thing I knew is I wanted to create a spectacle," Peele said. "I wanted to create something that the audience would have to come see. It's a horror epic, but it has some points in it that are meant to elicit a very audible reaction in the theater."
Nope hits theaters on July 22.