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| Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer & Brandon Perea (r) star in Nope |
The Oprah Shot
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: Caretakers at a California horse ranch encounter a mysterious force that affects human and animal behavior. Directed by Jordan Peele.
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott and Keith David.
What's Good: First, the obvious: Peele is an extraordinary filmmaker, and the likeliest (true) successor to Steven Spielberg (apologies to J. J. Abrams.) Nope is definitely not what you think it is, and I couldn't be happier. It's entertaining from the word go... a slow boil that features plenty of suspense, "6:13 of havoc" and a number of stellar performances. Kaluuya is absolutely fantastic, as is Palmer (as OJ's dynamo/polar opposite younger sister.) The former might be the most interesting actor in all of Hollywood, and the latter a bonafide star in the making. Together, they are a joy to behold, executing Peele's clever story to near perfection.
What's Not: Nope peaks before the two-hour mark, and the ending is a bit too muddled for my taste. Not enough to disappoint, mind you, but Peele's bar is awfully high.
Budget: $68 million
Runtime: 135 minutes (20-25 minutes too long.)
