Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ Delights (and Confuses) in Overwhelmingly Positive First Reactions

Ross A. Lincoln
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Jordan Peele’s sci-fi-thriller film “Nope” had its world premiere tonight, and the first reactions are in. Did people like it? As if you even needed to ask. Obviously everyone is saying yes to “Nope.”

“Nope” stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings and residents of a Black-owned ranch in inland California who try to capitalize on the chilling, extraterrestrial activity they witness. Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea and Barbie Ferreira also appear in the film, from Monkeypaw Productions and Universal Pictures.

Initial reactions are overwhelmingly positive, as people who saw it are raving about its tone, nods to the ’70s blockbuster era and even celebrating the fact that it might be weird to the point of confusion.

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For instance, CNN entertainment reporter Frank Pallotta called it “a monster mash with great performances (esp. Kaluuya) and a 50s sci-fi invasion motif. A spectacle about the horrors of spectacles,” and celebrated Peele as the heir to John Carpenter.

Fandango’s Erik Davis said “Nope” is “frightening & ferocious, but also very funny & unlike any UFO movie you’ve ever seen,” adding that it’s “wholly unique & VERY entertaining.”

“Nope is nothing like what you’d expect. An entertaining head-scratcher, equal parts confusing and terrifying and, like most of the films by @JordanPeele, offers layers you likely won’t peel back in one sitting,” comedian Chris Killian said.

“I felt challenged by Nope and I’m hungry to see where the hell he wants to take audiences next,” journalist Simon Thompson said.

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Jordan Peele at the Box Office: What ‘Get Out’ and ‘Us’ Say About ‘Nope’

Critic Shannon McGrew called it “otherworldly yet indescribable” and “an experience that won’t be easy to shake off as you find yourself picking your jaw up from the floor.”

And more than we’ll count here are telling people to check their expectations at the door; “Nope” as tonally different to “Us” as “Us” was to “Get Out” before it.

And of course, genius troll Ben Mekler did one of his usual attempts to trick websites with an obviously fake reaction, and in the process provided the logline for a movie I would absolutely watch:

See more from the above reactions below:

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