The science fiction thriller “Nope” is director Jordan Peele’s third feature film. Having made a name for himself in sketch comedy, Peele entered the filmmaking scene with 2017’s “Get Out”, a wonderful horror-comedy that raised some eyebrows by exploring the subtle racism found in American liberalism.
That film made a ton of money at the box office and won Peele a screenwriting Oscar, effectively setting him up as a filmmaker to watch. Some consider his follow-up, “Us”, to be even better, though I vehemently disagree. While that film’s first forty-five minutes are incredibly compelling, it starts to lose its way as it gets bogged down in its own mythology. “Nope” falls victim to this tendency, as well, making one wonder if “Get Out” was some sort of fluke. This is a film that patiently raises questions, gives us snippets of information, and slowly revs the audience up for a fascinating confrontation, only to fumble the ball and resort to undercooked action cliches. While the film ended on a note of triumph, it only made me shrug.
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