When I first watched NOPE, I honestly did not know what to expect. I knew Jordan Peele had built a strong name for himself with movies like Get Out and Us, but I still went into this one with some questions. Was it going to be scary? Was it going to be confusing?
To my surprise….I thought NOPE was overall really good.
The movie was written and directed by Jordan Peele and stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, and Michael Wincott. The story follows a brother and sister who run a horse ranch in California and start noticing something strange happening in the sky above them. From there, the movie becomes a mix of sci-fi, horror, mystery, and even a little bit of western style storytelling.
One thing I really liked about NOPE was the atmosphere. The movie does not just throw jump scares at you every five minutes. It takes its time. It builds tension. It makes you wonder what is really going on. That slow build may not work for everybody, but for me it kept me interested.
Keke Palmer brought a lot of energy to the movie. Her character helped balance out the quiet and serious tone from Daniel Kaluuya’s character. Kaluuya played his role in a calm, low key way, but it worked because his character felt grounded. Together they made the brother and sister relationship feel real.
I can understand why some people may not love it. NOPE is not a simple movie. It has a lot of meaning behind it, especially when it comes to fame, attention, trauma, and how people will risk a lot just to capture something shocking on camera. It is one of those movies where you may catch more details the second time you watch it.
Now……. even though I enjoyed the movie…I have to be honest about the ending.
The ending was kind of a letdown for me. It felt rushed and a little confusing. After all that buildup, I expected the final part to hit harder or explain things a little better. Instead, it felt like the movie was moving fast all of a sudden, and I was trying to keep up with what was happening. I also thought the name of the movie was a little odd. NOPE is a catchy title but to me it did not have a clear connection to the story. It just felt a little strange, like there could have been a stronger reason behind the name.
That being said the ending did not ruin the whole movie for me. I still walked away feeling like NOPE was creative, different, and worth watching. It was not the movie I expected, but that may be part of why I liked it.
Overall, I would recommend NOPE to people who enjoy sci-fi horror movies that make you think.
