NOPE is Jordan Peele’s Masterpiece

Incredible analysis and completely agree! I find it very interesting the way you tackle the religious component and it is something I hadn't even thought about yet. I feel that Nope deserves more recognition because it has shocked me not only with it's new way of conveying horror (the gordy's home incident and the digestion scene are executed masterfully) but also the underlying themes of the movie. It truly is a movie that does something different from others whilst simultaneously telling in important story which, in my opinion, makes it a masterpiece

You mentioned Angel had a surprising amount of characterization--and I agree! I've been thinking a lot lately about how Angel is initially seen as the weirdo tech guy obsessed with aliens, but as we get to know him, we see that he's actually a very thoughtful and caring person. My mind always goes to him frantically checking in with OJ and Em to talk to him over the walkies while they try to get Jean Jacket on film. He was also the first one to shoot down Antlers' idea of feeding a horse to JJ to lure it out on OJ and Em's behalf, which was a really nice character moment.

I love the little metaphors and double meanings in so many parts of this film, but my favorite is the damn shoe. Not because what kind of bad miracle it represents, but because that whole time, Jupe was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I definitely got the hint of OJ being Neuro Divergent. His behavior also mirrors the feeling of discomfort that these animals undergo with the attention, poking, & prodding.

Great video, but you missed an important example that was inspired from a real life incident of spectacle. When the Gordy incident happened in the film, one of the child actresses, Mary Jo Elliott, is mauled by the chimp. She survived (she wasn’t killed like what was implied from this video), and later on, her face is shown covered by a veil as she’s introduced to Jupe’s crowd as an adult. There’s a brief second where when Jean Jacket arrives in this scene, you see the wind lifting up the veil and you can see a bit of the damage that Gordy did to her face and hands. This was clearly a reference to the real-life incident of Charla Nash in 2009, where her neighbor’s pet chimp Travis (who was also in the entertainment industry) attacked her and mauled her face and hands. She went on the Oprah Winfrey show that same year under a veil (very similar to the one worn by Mary Jo Elliott) and revealed her face on camera. There were several parallels with the Gordy incident that Jordan Peele used to highlight/critique what happened to Charla as an example of spectacle: in the film, they kept referring to getting the “Oprah shot”. Well, that shot of the wind lifting the veil from Mary Jo’s face was a very clear reference to when Charla lifted the veil from her face on the Oprah Winfrey show. In other words, that shot of the wind lifting the veil from Mary Jo’s face WAS the “Oprah shot”. That was probably the best reference to exploitation/spectacle in the entertainment industry, imo. Jordan Peele is a genius!

You’re the first YouTuber I’ve seen even mention OJ’s neurodivergent traits- bravo!

My two biggest details i loved where that the audience that all got eaten could probably easily escaped if they just stopped looking and tried to escape, much like OJ did when he was attacked at the same place. Number 2, when the sitcom disfigured sister is watching JeanJacket come down, the veil that covers her face is lifted and she is killed (where as she may have been safe if it didn’t, much like with the chimp) and how it further cements he didn’t survive by some higher power, but luck (like lucky the horse) that the veil stopped eye contact

You mentioning that OJ may be neurodivergent makes so much sense! I’m autistic myself but never once thought that OJ may be like me, because in media (the spectacle), the characters rarely are. Having Jean Jacket resemble an eye is such a smart idea, and it makes sense that OJ would know not to look at it, cause for most neurodivergent folks eye contact feels so uncomfortable. It feels as if you are being viewed entirely, like someone is looking through you, and they can see it all. It feels invasive, as if your body is a box that they opened up, and can see all its contents. The film crew surrounding Lucky and ignoring OJ’s instructions, which leads to a physical explosion is something I experience in everyday life. OJ has felt what Lucky is feeling, which is why he understands Lucky along with Jean Jacket. People like to think that humans are so very far from animals, but we aren’t! If you put your autistic mind in the body and experience of Jean Jacket, how they’re feeling and how treat them becomes crystal clear. Nope is an excellent movie, and Jordan Peele did an amazing job!

i love the way the movie deals with grief. the need of the siblings to blame someone/something for taking their father away, they had to make something pay for their suffering. and seeing jean jacket as some metaphorical god makes it even more interesting

I watch this movie over and over again. It speaks volumes in so many ways. But as a biologist, the way Jordan addresses animal behavior with the subtleties and nuance that even my peers and professors fail to understand is so impressive to me, especially considering he's a filmmaker not a scientist.

I don't know if anyone caught this in the movie, but the 5 chapters in the movie actually represent the 5 mysteries of the rosary. In the 5 mysteries, there are at least 5 significant words that foreshadow the plot of the story. Chapter 1: Ghost-Annunciation (When OJ sees Jean Jacket for the first time), Chapter 2: Clover-Visitation (When Jupe's sons arrive to prank OJ and Jean Jacket arrives with OJ seeing them for the first time), Chapter 3: Gordy-Birth (When Gordy's Home massacre occurs and leaving Jupe the only survivor of the incident where he falsely believes that he can tame animals, sparking the birth of the "spectacle"), Chapter 4: Lucky-Presentation (Where Jupe tries to present Jean Jacket to the audience, but it later goes wrong with JJ eating him and the crowd), and Chapter 5: Jean Jacket-Finding (Where the group tries to get the footage of Jean Jacket to claim their "find"). Also, in every mystery there is an important line and advice that always says; "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.", which is something the characters, besides OJ, should do when encountering Jean Jacket. In order to survive, you have to not give in to the temptation by not looking at JJ and you will live. And the "deliver us from evil" line is actually representing the evil in trying to get "the perfect shot", where you will go to any lengths to get the frame, even if it costs your life, and how it's not worth it.

There's a funny online video I saw years ago, a homemade clip by a bunch of black teens in a ghost-story scenario, where they're getting more and more spooked but glimpses of a ghost in the house, until one finds the ghost standing right next to him. But instead of freezing in helpless terror, he instinctively throws a punch, knocking the ghost out, and he and his friend start kicking it. It was hilarious to see this scene recreated in Nope, when OJ punches the kid in the alien costume. Recognized it instantly. I think this was a continuation of what Jordan Peele was doing with Get Out, having a character stand in for the black audience of a horror film, shouting at the white characters for doing dumb things when in danger. "Get Out" is a standard line, shouted at every film like it's the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Same with "Nope."

the one thing i thought of when you went into detail about the whole idea of spectacle, and how jean jacket herself is the embodiment of it, i also feel as if her ability to mess with electronics in the movie could also be commentary on our use of cameras, phones, etc to record spectacle. our natural instinct is to record, and upload/release a spectacle for the world to see, so i feel like that ability is a way of saying "look at me, for what i am" if that makes any sense

I am so glad you made this video!!!!!! I loved NOPE! We analyzed, researched, debated, laughed, and watched NOPE for at couple of months straight in this household! I believe it is Jordan's best film and indeed is a masterpiece. All of the points you made were spot on. It's nice to hear other people talk about NOPE intelligently. Listening to so many people say, "it doesn't make sense" and "what was the point of the monkey" made me feel like I was tripping or something...

I know it's not a perfect fit, but whenever the term "Bad Miracle" is said, the word "Omen" comes to mind.

This whole time I was so busy thinking jean jacket looked like a UFO, that them looking like an “eye” never once crossed my mind. Now I can’t unsee it.

I always thought that Jean Jacket looked like the bottom of a cowboy hat… idk what to make of that but there’s definitely some resonance there

Was recommended this video and I admit - it’s gotta be one of the best analyses of Nope I’ve seen. It’s a shame the channel doesn’t get more views. Don’t give up and keep up the good work!

There’s also a lot drawn from the 1988 movie Akira which heavily influenced many big works in Hollywood and introduced anime and Japanese culture to the west. The more obvious tribute is the bike slide Emerald does at the very end (which has been recreated time and time again by countless films, shows, commercials, etc) but also the scenes of suffocation when Jean Jacket eats the people up. It’s extremely similar to a scene near the end of the movie where the characters are enveloped by an alien-like creature and being suffocated/squished to death.

When I watched Nope, I had mixed feeling about it. But this is a well-crafted essay. I especially like your point about the eye contact between Emerald and OJ, and how it's an example of seeing people as more than spectacle. I never thought about it in that way. Also, if you don't mind my saying so, I like your speaking voice. It's a nice mix of academic and professional, and soft and comforting. I noticed it immediately.