And the Award Goes to: “Nope”

Hannah Shahidi, Layout Assistant and Staff Writer

In Jordan Peele’s latest sci-fi and horror film, “Nope,”, we follow the story of OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) on their ranch in rural California. During the film, Kaluuya and Palmer encounter strange phenomena at their house: the power goes out, ominous clouds loom over the sky and powerful storms leave their ranch in shambles. The two are forced to fight off and defend themselves against the extraterrestrial threats endangering their family home. The movie has an overall suspenseful mood and leans into the paranormal and disorienting side of the horror genre.

Just like many of Peele’s other movies, “Nope” is a chilling, well-crafted horror film that leaves audiences unsettled and on the edge of their seats. However, the film didn’t receive any Oscar nominations this year, despite its impressive cinematography, glowing reviews from critics and high box office sales.

When “Nope” was first released in July of 2022 as a follow-up to “Get Out” in 2017 and “Us” in 2019, the audience reviews were overwhelmingly positive. The movie was even the 26th highest-grossing film of 2022 worldwide, which is understandable given the mind-blowing special effects and great performances from Kaluuya, Palmer, Kieth David, Barbie Ferreira and many other cast members. However, none of these qualities of the movies were recognized by this year’s Oscar nominations.

Regardless of “Nope” being completely snubbed in the 2022 Oscar nominations, the film delivers its promise of dark, intriguing and at times satirical themes and is a definite must-watch.