Lor Gislason
After several days of teasers, the trailer for Jordan Peele’s NOPE was released in the middle of the night. After the overwhelming success of Get Out and Us, expectations are high and from what the trailer shows, NOPE is set to be another wild ride.
Keke Palmer explains over footage of A Horse in Motion that the first film was a black man, her ancestor, before proudly describing her and Daniel Kaluuya’s ranch where they train horses for Hollywood. Later, as she enjoys a drink and dances inside, the power fails. The horses run off, spooked, as something appears in the sky.
With quick cuts we get a few clues: everyone is looking up and the unnatural cloud from the poster makes an appearance. Small crowds gather with merchandise proclaiming “I survived the experience.” A table overflowing with plush alien toys. Hmm.
It seems Peele is setting us up for UFOs—although, with his track record, that can’t be the entire picture. Minutes after viewing the internet was ablaze with theories, including the title being an acronym for Not Of Planet Earth. Some speculate that just as Us was partially based on a Twilight Zone episode, that NOPE is as well, that episode being The Monsters are Due on Maple Street.
It’s a gorgeous trailer, using the desolate landscape of California both during the day and night to give a sense of isolation. There’s nowhere to hide. An array of “wacky inflatable tube men” dot the ranch’s landscape and I’m curious what their purpose is if any. Maybe an easy way to indicate the power dying during the day. They certainly make for a striking image though and props to Peele for making a jovial, silly advertising tool creepy.
What are your thoughts on the NOPE trailer? Do you think it’s aliens?
NOPE hits theatres on July 22nd.
