Following the successful releases of “Get Out” (2017) and “Us” (2019), Jordan Peele’s third feature, “Nope” (2022), is a mix of genres –– horror, sci-fi, satire and maybe even western. As one of the highest anticipated films of the summer –– released on July 22 –– “Nope” is a unique horror concept with Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya as leading actors. 

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“Nope” follows Kaluuya as O.J. (Otis Jr.) and Palmer as Emerald, brother and sister horse-wranglers trying to defend their dad’s ranch from an extraterrestrial threat in the sky. Just like Peele’s past films, there wasn’t much information released about “Nope” until it came out, raising a lot of questions about the plot. Now it can be inferred that “nope” stands for “not of planet earth.” 

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The movie is structured in a way that keeps you wanting more. “Nope” is consumed with suspense, quick-witted jokes and a constant feeling of “What the hell?!” from start to finish. Peele’s strange interpretation of an extraterrestrial being is what kept my attention. There’s no telling what this stingray type of ribbon UFO will do next.

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The cinematic scenes, dialogue and flawless acting make this extraterrestrial sci-fi as believable and genuine as possible. “Nope” begins with a text from the Old Testament Book of Nahum when God threatens punishment on the wicked city of Nineveh: “I will make a spectacle of you.” According to The New York Times, “Our beloved spectacles — like most of the other artifacts of our fallen world — are built on cruelty, exploitation and erasure, and ‘Nope’ is partly about how we incorporate knowledge of that fact into our enjoyment of them.”

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Peele pays tribute to movie tradition by using horses as a symbol of what is believed to be the first moving image of a man on horseback. O.J. and Emerald’s great-great-great grandfather is said to be the rider. They help run their father’s horse wrangler business which equips television and movies that need horses.

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After their dad Otis Haywood (played by Keith David) gets killed by falling debris from what the police believe is an airplane –– O.J. has his doubts –– O.J. is left as the main wrangler. O.J. and Emerald have a special dynamic, and their sibling bond feels authentic. He’s the more introverted cowboy who’d rather be with his horses, and she’s confident and offers many out-of-pocket comments for comedic effect. 

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When the power shuts down and all types of batteries drain simultaneously, the siblings suspect something galactic is going on. They spot a mysterious flying saucer-shaped cloud coming up out of the horizon. Their neighbor Ricky “Jupe” Park (played by Steven Yeun) also suspects something extraterrestrial is going on and decides to turn his ranch into a Wild West-themed tourist attraction.

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Although one of the conflicts in the film is the need to “look away,” you can’t keep your eyes off of whatever otherworldly creature is on screen. The lucid-dream imagery and special effects are unique to any and every genre and are reason enough to see this sci-fi western –– and make sure to give the talented people in the credits a look. 

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With Halloween around the corner, “Nope” is excellent for a spooky movie night. The movie is now available to buy on Prime Video and iTunes for $19.99, and the DVD/Blu-ray release is set for October 25.

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The official trailer