Jordan Peele Makes Society a Spectacle in ‘Nope’
Jordan Peele at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
On Friday, July 22nd, Universal Pictures made headlines with its in-theaters release of Jordan Peele’s third feature film, Nope.
During his reign as one of the most celebrated darlings of Black Hollywood, writer and director Jordan Peele has continuously captivated audiences with one of the most compelling creative voices in the film industry at large. With his revolutionary brand of Afro-centric storytelling, Peele has been able to incite meaningful conversations about societal issues that stretch far beyond the widescreen boundaries of his cinematic universes. Often cited as cerebral, multi-layered, and downright confusing to some, Peele’s filmography represents the track record of an artist’s blatant refusal to conform to the cookie cutter norms set by an industry that has historically shunned voices like his.
Although the ambiguity of this film may strike feelings of frustration in some viewers when comparing it to Us or Get Out, Nope is far from a disappointment. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I would argue Nope is the clearest demonstration of Peele’s unshakable commitment to himself as a filmmaker as well as to his own creative vision.
The narrative of Nope is built around the relationship between two siblings: Emerald (Keke Palmer) and OJ (Daniel Kaluuya). After the death of their father, Otis (Keith David), the two siblings are tasked with taking over the family’s horse training business. This endeavor soon leads to a business relationship with Rick “Jupe” Park (Steven Yuen), a former child actor running an old-western-themed amusement park. As Emerald and OJ struggle to keep the business afloat, the two of them notice some paranormal activity taking place around their family’s California ranch home.
After teaming up with Angel (Brandon Perea), an employee from a local tech store, the siblings install a video surveillance system to investigate these happenings. The three of them conclude that the presence of a UFO is responsible for the recurring paranormal activity. They then reach out to enlist Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott), a well-respected filmmaker and family friend, to help with getting an on-camera image of the UFO. In the quest for this image, comedically referred to as the “Oprah Shot,” this ragtag foursome looks to obtain concrete evidence to resoundingly prove the existence of extraterrestrial life.
Nope’s most central theme has to do with our society’s obsession with spectacle. The film as a whole is carefully constructed to resemble one, from the movie posters of various characters looking up in awe at film credits, to the wide array of special effects featured throughout the storyline. This commitment to showcasing a spectacle is evident from the start. Before getting to see any onscreen action, the audience is greeted with a quote from the prophet Nahum in the Tanakh. It reads, “I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.”
“Nope’s most central theme has to do with our society’s obsession with spectacle.”
For the sake of this article, I’ll define spectacle as any event worth pulling out your phone to record. A spectacle is something that is exciting, eye-catching—the type of thing you’d post on your Instagram story. As humans continue to come of age during the internet era, social phenomena like image and video sharing have trapped people from all across the world in an eternal hunt for instances of spectacle. Steven Yuen’s portrayal of Jupe is perhaps the clearest representation of this hunger being manifested in our society. He attempts to use OJ’s horses to attract the aliens, which eventually comes at the expense of the safety of himself, his live audience, and the horses.
Aside from the excitement that comes from witnessing a spectacle, the movie also touches on the social incentives associated with capturing one. We’ve all felt that desire of wanting to go viral at some point in our lives. The advent of becoming rich or famous is the most tempting potential benefit of being able to display a spectacle for others to see. There seem to be many people in society who will stop at nothing to obtain this. This may speak to the personal ambitions held by characters like Angel and Antlers Holst. Despite the literal otherworldly dangers posed by the visiting aliens, the two of them come to adopt a sort of ride-or-die mentality when faced with the prospect of proving their existence. By the time the two of them team up with OJ and Emerald towards the end of the movie, neither of them take issue with becoming martyrs in pursuit of the infamous Oprah Shot. It’s fine in the end because martyrs get the chance to be immortalized in long-standing legacies.
“To the aliens, humans are the spectacle.”
These social incentives apply to our own lives as audience members as well. Many of us have sizable presences on social media, which have us living a double life as we split our screen time between being content consumers and content creators. This content we consume and create can be looked upon as instances of spectacle, especially in the case of the aforementioned quote. Oftentimes, the pictures or videos most expected to reach large amounts of people are the ones that cast filth upon the subject. The ones that treat the subject with contempt. The ones that make the subject a spectacle. You see it on WorldStar, Barstool—why else would something like revenge porn exist?
In their quest for the Oprah Shot, Emerald and OJ believe they are pursuing a spectacle. If we humans didn’t think extraterrestrial life to be vile or cast in filth, there wouldn’t be so much hoopla around trying to “see dem aliens.” In Nope, however, that whole narrative is flipped upside down. The crux of what makes this film so hauntingly entertaining is the fact that in this story, the aliens aren’t the ones who are made to be vile. They don’t seem to be cast in much filth at all. In Nope, it’s us. To the aliens, humans are the spectacle. And what better way is there to preserve a spectacle than by abducting one?
