I was first introduced to Jordan Peele in his directorial debut Get Out in 2017. As soon as it came out, the film was an instant favourite and considered a trendsetter in the thriller, horror and dark comedy genre not because of its cinematography, suspenseful storyline or giving newcomers like Daniel Kaluuya a big break, but for being thought-provoking and weaving trenchant social critiques into an effective film. Despite being produced by horror studio Blumhouse, the film had the vibe of an A24 release instead.
Peele went on to do his second feature Us in 2019. Unlike Get Out, Us was more experimental and kind of cryptic. The complexity and its confusing theme sparked conversations about what it was really about and gave rise to many fan theories. But worry not, Peele's third and his latest directorial effort Nope isn't really a head-scratcher. In fact, Peele revisits his old formula and blends sci-fi, horror and dark comedy in a well-balanced fashion. It does have a lot of scary elements, but Nope takes a turn for a Steven Spielberg-esque adventure-thriller ride.
