The Alienation Game: Nope Explores What We Don’t See
Nope (2022)
Directed by Jordan Peele
Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, and Brandon Perea
This film, no pun intended, is about alienation. We are blind to the processes behind the production of the things we use and need. We don’t know where our food or consumer goods come from. We have a vague idea, but we don’t know the butcher or watch him work. We just grill the meat.
Jordan Peele’s excellent Nope unveils several aspects of life from which we’re alienated: the filmmaking industry, day-to-day technology, and human psychology. We’re shown behind the scenes and what it’s like to be on set. The main characters are teased by an IT guy because, like most of us, they don’t really know how the stuff they use works. We’re also given a look into the motivation of Jupe — brilliantly brought to life by Steven Yeun — shaped by a traumatic event. And it’s mysterious. Nope keeps us wanting to know what’s around the corner or up in the sky.
Peele weaves all of this into a well-crafted thriller with a deeper message: if we want to survive the uncertain, technologically deranged future ahead of us, we need to reconnect with nature. By the way, this is stunningly captured in the film by DP Hoyte Van Hoytema. It’s a beautiful film to watch — but don’t look it in the eyes!
Excellent film. Very cinema.