Few imagined that Jordan Peele would have such an impact on the horror genre. Peele gained fame as a comedian before switching to horror and creating the cultural phenomenon Get Out. The film earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Peele’s next horror film, Us, earned plaudits from critics and fans alike.
Jordan’s short though mightily impressive track record has raised anticipation for his next film Nope. Millions of Super Bowl fans watched the trailer, trying to decipher clues about what Nope is about. Peele creates his films in absolute secrecy, but the trailer has given us an idea of what to expect in Nope.
Nope seems to be about an alien invasion/collaboration gone wrong
It’s a while since we’ve seen extraterrestrial life used as the source of horror, and there’s no one better than Jordan Peele to bring it back.
The idea of extraterrestrial life terrifies people because of the overwhelming expectation that any alien population would seek to wipe out humanity. Nope certainly seems to support that theory.
Almost everyone looking skyward in the trailer has dread inscribed on their faces. The aliens in Nope seem to arrive in a big, dark cloud with a kite tail (the image in the poster). Everything points to an impending invasion: the sudden loss of power, deflation of sky dancers, and the image of a child about to fistbump a creature with an unusual hand.
The loss of power in horror flicks usually signals the beginning of the end, especially if the house is as isolated as the one in Nope. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer’s characters play a couple that owns the home and the only black-owned ranch in the area.
Daniel and Keke’s house presumably sits in the middle of the ranch, which weirdly has too many air dancers. Retailers use air dancers to grab attention; therefore, it doesn’t make sense to have them in the middle of a ranch. Perhaps they are meant to attract a visitor of the alien kind.
The trailer hints that the humans in the area know of the existence of aliens. There’s a stand selling toys and t-shirts with alien references.
Daniel’s character asks if there’s a word for a bad miracle. It hints that something miraculous (perhaps a collaboration with aliens) has turned sour. The partnership would explain why Daniel and Keke’s characters are the only black people with a ranch.
Nothing seems friendly about the alien visit in the trailer: winds blow dust everywhere, dark clouds cover the sky, the alien hand/claw we see appears covered in blood, there’s an upside horse on top of a car, and Keke Palmer’s character seems to get abducted.
It’s challenging to decipher the hidden meaning behind Nope
A testament to Jordan Peele’s genius is his ability to hide meaning inside terror; it’s not just about hysteria and fear – his films mirror various aspects of society.
For instance, in Us, Peele explored the hypocrisy of a society that systematically oppresses people and then demonizes the monsters it creates.
It’s challenging to decipher the message in Nope by watching a two-minute trailer. We’ll need to consume the whole film to get Peele’s message; however, some have speculated that Nope has a lot to do with climate change.
The trailer doesn’t show actual aliens, but the shifting weather elements do plenty of destruction. Strong, erratic winds blow away houses, property, and Palmer’s character; a well-timed lightning bolt shows a colossal waterfall following the kite-tailed cloud.
We will need to wait until the film’s release or a subsequent trailer to figure out Nope, but some fans might have cracked the code behind the movie’s name.
Fan theory claims that Nope is an acronym for Not Of Planet Earth, supporting the alien invasion narrative.