Jordan Peele's "Nope"

[shauner111]

US had a nightmare like quality. It felt like a waking nightmare came merged with 'our' reality.

OJ was very introverted and seemed more comfortable with animals than people but he came out of his shell more the movie went on. Emerald was a lot more social and outgoing.

I think Nope had the best scary 'alien abduction' scene since Fire in the sky.

Fire in the Sky absolutely traumatized me as a child. I was watching slasher movies since I was super little and never had a problem but I remember running into my room with that one. Christ.

 

[Maximus One]

I do get people’s complaints about this, overall. I think a lot of people went in expecting an alien invasion movie, I know I did. I was frustrated almost the entire movie but, once I realized what Peele was going for with the story I was blown away by how ingenious it all was. I do still think that Jupe and Antlers could’ve been combined into a single character to flesh out Jupe a bit more. I mean, a former child actor becoming a director seems super fitting to me.

 

[Still Wynning]

Also, I don’t get the complaints about Daniel Kaluuya’s OJ character being dull. I got the sense that he’s a very introverted person who internalizes a lot of his emotions, doesn’t display them outwardly as much as other people and is mostly nonplussed about a lot of things in general. He expresses himself more through his actions than through his face or his words. I know because that is pretty much how I express myself to other people, unless it’s some thing I’m really excited about. And, a lot of the time, that can read to a lot of people as being super serious and/or bored.

If I was in a lot of the situations that he was in in this movie, I’d pretty much react the same way. Like, the moment when he is in the car and takes a quick peek outside to see the alien right above him, then immediately shuts and locks the car door, followed by him casually saying “Nope” is exactly how I respond in that situation, which is why I laughed so hard when it came out and why it’s my favorite use of that word in the entire film. I was like, “Yep, that’s about right.”

I’ve seen so many people online over the years complain about introverted characters in media like this being super dull or boring because they don’t display as much outward emotion as other characters, and it really annoys the hell out of me. That’s just how we are. It’s why I was so happy to see someone like this, who is like me, portrayed so accurately.

 

[Filmfan93]

See I am the opposite. I can't understand how anyone would love it. It's a lot of build up for an unsatisfactory pay off for me.

But I am glad some are finding enjoyment in it.

I can definitely see your point about the payoff.

I wasn't particularly impressed with the final act, but everything up until then is superb.

It's more about the journey than the end destination for me.

 

[shauner111]

Also, I don’t get the complaints about Daniel Kaluuya’s OJ character being dull. I got the sense that he’s a very introverted person who internalizes a lot of his emotions, doesn’t display them outwardly as much as other people and is mostly nonplussed about a lot of things in general. He expresses himself more through his actions than through his face or his words. I know because that is pretty much how I express myself to other people, unless it’s some thing I’m really excited about. And, a lot of the time, that can read to a lot of people as being super serious and/or bored.

If I was in a lot of the situations that he was in in this movie, I’d pretty much react the same way. Like, the moment when he is in the car and takes a quick peek outside to see the alien right above him, then immediately shuts and locks the car door, followed by him casually saying “Nope” is exactly how I respond in that situation, which is why I laughed so hard when it came out and why it’s my favorite use of that word in the entire film. I was like, “Yep, that’s about right.”

I’ve seen so many people online over the years complain about introverted characters in media like this being super dull or boring because they don’t display as much outward emotion as other characters, and it really annoys the hell out of me. That’s just how we are. It’s why I was so happy to see someone like this, who is like me, portrayed so accurately.

Same with me. The only ppl who criticize characters like this are extroverted mouthpieces lol. It’s not like he was wooden and displayed one emotion on his face the whole time. That’s dull and boring. OJ was very expressive and even confident at times but he’s uncomfortable with small talk (which is a introverts nightmare), useless chit chat unless it’s something super interesting.

 

[shauner111]

I do get people’s complaints about this, overall. I think a lot of people went in expecting an alien invasion movie, I know I did. I was frustrated almost the entire movie but, once I realized what Peele was going for with the story I was blown away by how ingenious it all was. I do still think that Jupe and Antlers could’ve been combined into a single character to flesh out Jupe a bit more. I mean, a former child actor becoming a director seems super fitting to me.

It is an alien invasion movie at the end of the day.

 

[Still Wynning]

Same with me. The only ppl who criticize characters like this are extroverted mouthpieces lol. It’s not like he was wooden and displayed one emotion on his face the whole time. That’s dull and boring. OJ was very expressive and even confident at times but he’s uncomfortable with small talk (which is a introverts nightmare), useless chit chat unless it’s something super interesting.

The scene with him at the commercial shoot is such a good example of this. He is so clearly uncomfortable in that environment and being around so many people trying to talk to him and ask him so many questions, without self-awareness or consideration, he doesn’t know how to answer or even knows the answers to. It’s not his usual environment and he’s kind of afraid of how people might react to him, so he backs off as much as he can possibly can to avoid causing a scene, which ends up happening anyway, because people are dumb-dumbs, and wonders why he bothered in the first place.

The moment when he is trying and failing to warn the cast and crew about being careful around the horse to extinguish any tensions before it finally escalates, but has trouble expressing it to them, made me cringe so hard, because I have been in so many situations like that where I’ve wanted to say something but didn’t know how quiet to say it to express it because I’ve never dealt or don’t usually deal with that. Then it gets to a point where you just wanna be done with the whole situation because you’re so frustrated with your own inability to wrangle the situation and frustrated with the people causing it and their lack of self awareness.

Can you tell how much I really relate to this character?

 

[-Arya-]

It is an alien invasion movie at the end of the day.

I’d take this and Arrival over a generic crowd pleasing alien invasion movie.

 

[Maximus One]

It is an alien invasion movie at the end of the day.

How so exactly? I don’t remember it being stated anywhere what Jean Jacket actually was. Could be a Heaven invasion story. Alien, is just one of many interpretations. That’s the entire point of the film.

 

[shauner111]

Where else would it come from lol

 

[Maximus One]

Where else would it come from lol

Pick a place. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the known universe or not. Hell, it could be Earth. Again, kinda the point of leaving it unexplained in the movie.

 

[shauner111]

Nah it’s an alien

 

[Closerframe]

Yeah, if there’s anything left up to the viewer’s interpretation; whether or not that was an alien wouldn’t be on my list.

 

[Maximus One]

Plenty of people think it’s an angel. Obviously everybody can interpret it how they see fit.

 

[shauner111]

An angel? Lmfao what?

 

[Filmfan93]

Pick a place. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the known universe or not. Hell, it could be Earth. Again, kinda the point of leaving it unexplained in the movie.

It's an alien.

 

[Maximus One]

I never took it as literally being an alien. I’ve heard plenty of people interpret it as a biblical angel. My first thought coming out of the theater was that it was some type of undocumented aerial animal.

 

[shauner111]

Peele even calls it an alien. Most press questions I’ve seen are about what he thinks of aliens lol.

 

[Maximus One]

I’d love to see a quote of Peele calling it anything specific.

 

[Sithborg]

I do get people’s complaints about this, overall. I think a lot of people went in expecting an alien invasion movie, I know I did. I was frustrated almost the entire movie but, once I realized what Peele was going for with the story I was blown away by how ingenious it all was. I do still think that Jupe and Antlers could’ve been combined into a single character to flesh out Jupe a bit more. I mean, a former child actor becoming a director seems super fitting to me.

The comparisons I saw to Jaws really helped with my expectations.

 

[Maximus One]

My interpretation was that this being is supposed to be what we’ve always seen as UFO’s. Peele has even said it was designed after cuttlefish, jellyfish and weather balloons. To me, that leaves it up in the air that in can be just about anything. Unless Peele comes out and says “oh yea, it’s an animal from another planet” then it’s up to interpretation. Anybody can see it as being whatever they want. I saw it as being one of 3 things: Alien, Angel or Animal. And the only reason I ever thought of it possibly being a biblical angel was because I saw other people saying it and thought to myself “oh, that fits too.” Plus, Peele has 100% said “it’s whatever you think it is.” So….

 

[shauner111]

Quite the murderous angel.

 

[Maximus One]

Quite the murderous angel.

I mean, biblical angels were pretty hardcore iirc. Anyways, I’ll be the first to admit that I could be over thinking things. I just thought that all the talk of aliens throughout the film were intentionally misleading. To me, the whole point, narratively speaking, was that Jean Jacket could be almost anything. It’s just something otherworldly and beyond our understanding. Also, a helium balloon being capable of destroying it doesn’t necessarily instill much confidence in me that it could survive in the vacuum of space.

 

[shauner111]

It’s like Signs with the water.

 

[Maximus One]

Except that movie actually explained things not leaving it open to interpretation.