On general release
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SOMETHING strange is lurking in the clouds above a dusty, unassuming valley deep in southern California. On a horse ranch, taciturn Otis 鈥淥J鈥� Haywood Jr and his sister, the somewhat livelier Emerald, are struggling to save their business, Haywood鈥檚 Hollywood Horses, which supplies horses for film and television. Six months earlier, their father, who founded the business, was killed when a nickel mysteriously fell out of the sky, hitting him in the eye.
The strange something lurking in the clouds turns out to be a saucer-shaped UFO, which OJ spots when it begins abducting his horses, expelling any non-fleshy objects in the process.
Most people would probably choose to flee after discovering this potentially life-threatening entity in their backyard, but not the Haywood siblings. Instead, they embark on a mission to capture the UFO on film, driven by a desire for fame, fortune and, importantly for OJ, the need to keep their father鈥檚 legacy alive. What follows is an action-packed, if gruesome, UFO-hunting adventure.
Despite adopting the flying saucer clich茅, Jordan Peele鈥檚 beautifully shot spectacle breathes new life into the sci-fi horror genre. Though it isn鈥檛 as politically biting as the director鈥檚 previous horror outings, Get Out and Us, the film sprinkles in cautionary allegories about animal exploitation and modern society鈥檚 toxic ability to immerse itself in drama. Ultimately, a satisfying and suspenseful final act makes Nope a thrilling must-watch, stuffed full of ideas.
