Jordan Peele’s next social horror film will be released this summer, setting itself up to be the most anticipated horror film of the year. Nope appears to be about Black-owned horse trainers as they witness some type of horror take place on and around their ranch. Very little is known about the plot, which is only adding to the curiosity and speculation around the film. Get Out and Us, Peele’s previous horror films, tackle varying subjects in two distinct ways, and it’s likely Nope will continue that trend.
Get Out has already brought Peele great acclaim, earning him the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and being named the Greatest Screenplay of the 21st Century by the Writers Guild of America. This meant Us had big shoes to fill. While it wasn’t given the same fanfare as Get Out, Us was still a phenomenal film that struck a chord with its audience. Nope, looking to combine horror and western elements, has the potential to be Peele’s best film yet. The plot (or what can be speculated about it), the potential themes, and the cast dynamic could give Nope all the necessary pieces to create the film of the year and be the film Peele will be remembered for.
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The Plot
Universal Pictures
It’s clear that in addition to following the only Black-owned horse trainers of Hollywood, Nope will be about what happens around their ranch because of a mysterious cloud that rolls in. The trailer keeps the plot pretty under wraps, only building suspense over what the cloud brings. Clips of strange hands, flickering lights, and seemingly unknown forces make it look like the film will somehow be paranormal in nature, with speculation that extraterrestrial life will make an appearance, but leaves viewers with one question: what or who is hiding in the cloud?
The cloud is portrayed as something bad. Clouds are commonly associated with positivity, used in mindfulness activities to put bad thoughts on to float away. In Nope, it looks like the cloud is bringing anything but positivity into town. Using something with a positive connotation to create suspense and fear isn’t unheard of (think the use of light in Midsommar). Still, the idea that a cloud floating overhead is housing something horrible is terrifying. People see clouds every day, and whatever the cloud in Nope is bringing is much worse than what anyone is used to. Turning something like a cloud into a beacon of terror is typically well-received if it’s done well. There’s no doubt that Peele can do it well.
The Potential Themes
Get Out and Us explored themes like slavery, white savior complexes, and American privilege. Based on what is known about Nope so far, viewers should look for themes like representation in Hollywood, colonization, and nationalism. These themes, combined with the unknown force within the cloud, could create a film that hits home for a large portion of its audience, even if they don’t realize it. Peele has previously discussed his intention to explore the different monsters of humanity, and including themes like colonization and nationalism are ways to do that.
With the combination of western and horror elements, the film has the potential to be Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood meets The Mist. This could be to the film’s benefit, utilizing the best elements of both to create a western social horror that stays with audiences long after they leave theaters. The fear of the unknown combined with common tropes of westerns like horses and fallout are repurposing elements that audiences are familiar with but placing them in a new and unfamiliar light, which adds intrigue.
The Casting
Peele has teamed up with Daniel Kaluuya again, star of Get Out, in this feature. He plays James Haywood, the great-great-great grandson of the original Black-owned horse trainers, continuing his family legacy by working with his sister Jill to maintain the ranch. From the trailer, it’s evident we will see a different side of Kaluuya than what he showed in Get Out, which should add a great dynamic to the film.
Rounding out the main cast are Keke Palmer, playing Jill, and Steven Yeun, playing Brian, who looks to be the owner or front-man of a western-themed show or park. Palmer is already coming off as incredibly charismatic in the trailer, adding to the potentially different attitudes and personalities of James and Jill. The scenes with both Kaluuya and Palmer are already giving a great picture of what to expect in the film, showing great chemistry between the two. While the trailer doesn’t show Yeun as much as Kaluuya and Palmer, it is clear whatever his character is involved in will be interesting, considering he’s seen uncovering a horse in a transparent box. It is also unclear how Yeun’s character will interact with them, but there’s no doubt that the three of them will sell their fear in what the cloud has in store.
With this in mind, Nope has the perfect set up to be the best Peele film yet. From creating terror in something mundane to being well-casted, Peele has potentially combined the best of his work to create a movie that will leave audiences terrified to look up.
