I surmise that the idea for "Nope" came out of a clever idea for a sketch. Imagine a film where the main character says "Nope" to terrifying, unexplainable phenomena instead of rushing forward like a courageous, but dumb movie hero.
Except, bucking that trope only takes a movie so far. And that's the point where the movie "Nope" starts to unravel, when it can't adequately explain why the protagonists are sticking around.
Somewhere between halfway and three fourths of the movie, the dialogue just becomes far too cryptic to make sense of. And that's the point where the actions the protagonists are taking really needs to be clear, as it's the climax of the film.
I wished the director Jordan Peele, one half of the successful Key and Peele comedy duo, would try his hand at the horror/comedy movie genre. I believe this is his third and latest film, and the second one that most fits in that genre.
To his credit, some sequences have great cinematography, tension, and horror. And some moments are really funny. One particular sequence is both terrifying and hilarious, and best encapsulates the title "Nope," as a main character goes head to head with a massive, intimidating force and just closes his car door, and says "nope."
But overall, the horror and comedy sides do not feel totally woven together. It's like at some point budget was lost and some sequences just couldn't get follow through. And the characters had to be stretched to make up for missing plot points, or fill the moments with comedy. The writers and actors and visual effects teams are good enough so they manage it. But there is a sense of "what did I just watch" at the ending, which wasn't there with Peele's two other more finished films.
Whatever the back story is that has given "Nope" its rough landing, I still found the film enjoyable. Sometimes experimental. Mostly unpretentious and original good fun. But also, what did I just watch?
