Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer star in complex social thriller Nope'

14/08/2022

Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer star in complex social thriller Nope' Nope' is a dark pop nightmare of uncanny science fiction that unpacks the seeds of violence and opportunism of the American West.

by Nokuthula Ngcobo

14-08-2022 07:45

in Entertainment

Daniel Kaluuya, Brandon Perea, and Keke Palmer in Nope' - written, produced, and directed by Jordan Peele. Image Supplied

Oscar winner Jordan Peele disrupted and redefined modern horror with Get Out in 2017, Us in 2019 and nowhe reimagines the summer movie with the expansive new horror epic, Nope.

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DANIEL KALUUYA, KEKE PALMER, STEVEN YEUN STAR IN NOPE' Nope is a dark pop nightmare of uncanny science fiction and complex social thriller that unpacks the seeds of violence, risk and opportunism that are inseparable from the romanticized history of the American West and from show business itself.

The film reunites Peele with Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah), who is joined by Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice) and Oscar nominee Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

Keke Palmer in Nope', written and directed by Jordan Peele. Image Supplied ALSO READ: Still going like a Bullet Train': Is Brad Pitt going to retire from acting?

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ABOUT THE FILM Nope is situated just outside of Los Angeles, in Southern California's arid and rambling Santa Clarita Valley, where siblings OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer), have inherited a horse ranch from their industry-legend father, Otis Haywood Sr. (Emmy winner Keith DavidI; 21 Bridges, Crash), carrying the torch of his craft as animal wranglers for film and television.

It's a tough business, and despite their skills and the artistry of their profession, OJ and Emerald face financial challenges and the heartbreak inherent to a trade where livestock is the talent.

Adjacent to the Haywood ranch sits Jupiter's Claim, a family-fun theme park and petting zoo predicated on the white-washed history and aesthetics of the California Gold Rush, owned and operated with evangelical pride by Ricky Jupe Park (Steven Yeun), a former child star who is saddled with a tabloid-tragic backstory that he has spent a lifetime trying to escape.

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OJ and Emerald begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast ranch that leads them down an obsessive rabbit hole-plotting attempts to capture the mystery on camera. The hijinks of their quest for documentation, through increasingly elaborate and dangerous set-ups, puts at risk the only thing they truly have: the hard-earned business of their late John Henry-esque father, who has left them in his long shadow.

Things escalate, as the siblings enlist the expert help of Fry's Electronics store employee Angel Torres (Brandon Perea; The OA, American Insurrection), and acclaimed cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott; Hitchcock, Westworld), who is on the cusp of retirement. As their efforts, and hubris, cross a point-of-no-return, ratcheting the stakes to terrifying consequences, our heroes are drawn straight into the eye of an irreversible storm. The result is an expansive horror spectacle with an intimate and emotionally complex core.

Daniel Kaluuya in Nope', written and directed by Jordan Peele. Image Supplied OTHER CAST MEMBERS The film co-stars Wrenn Schmidt (For All Mankind) and Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria), Terry Notary (The Square), Devon Graye (I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore), Daytime Emmy winner Donna Mills (Knots Landing), Osgood Perkins (director Gretel & Hansel) and Eddie Jemison (Ocean's 11 franchise).

Nope will be released by Universal Pictures worldwide.

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