I've really enjoyed JP's cinematic offerings thus far. He reminds me of the potential result of a three-way cloning mix of Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch, and M. Night Shyamalan. No small praise there eh? If they had a baby it just might end up being Mr. Peele himself. All of the aforementioned are decided faves of mine, geniuses of suspense, strangeness, and unusual characters, with a healthy helping of twisty plot machinations.
With Nope, his third film, he further mines the territory of the unknown, unidentified phenomena (no spoiling here!), and all the trappings that entails. Thoroughly entertaining and well acted, it tells the tale of two siblings, the Haywoods, that work with their father as horse trainers for Hollywood productions. Their father (Keith David) is injured in a bizarre incident and the tale moves forward from there.
Keke Palmer, as the sister, steals the show in many of the scenes, her energy electric and captivating. Daniel Kaluuya does a good turn as the stoic son. Steven Yeun is both troubled and magnetic as the former child actor turned western-themed amusement park owner, and Michael Wincott is great as an obsessed and eclectic director.
There's a subplot with a chimp that's pervasive and unnerving. It's very creative and another aspect of the uneasiness of tone and setting that Poole maintains throughout. Suffice it to say it's quite memorable.
This is a definite recommendation from me viewers, at least a four star outing, maybe higher via subjective opinion/critique. Enjoy!
