7-22-22
Daniel Kaluuya leads off with a much anticipated flick hitting theaters now. The summer continues to sizzle with weekend after weekend of exciting and comedic films that help the Hollywood box office roar back to life. While inflation, heat and summer travel traditions have taken hold, moviegoers are heading back to the big screen and "NOPE" is a sure bet to get strong viewership.
Keke Palmer is heavily featured in the story as well, carrying the female lead. Born Lauren Keyana Palmer on August 26, 1993 she is perhaps best known for playing the title role in the 2006 film, Akeelah and the Bee. Palmer made her acting debut in 2004's Barbershop 2: Back in Business, playing the part of the niece of Queen Latifah's character. In Nope, she plays the sister of the sibling duo alongside Kaluuya.
NOPE follows two ranch-owning siblings who attempt to capture video evidence of a UFO which they believe may have been responsible for the death of their father. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun as residents of an isolated town who witness a mysterious and abnormal events.
Let's focus for a minute on Daniel Kaluuya. Kaluuya continues his run reuniting with Peele (he carries the lead role in Peele's "GET OUT"). The British actor continues to make a mark in both on screen and stage. He has received an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. It's fair to say he's at the top of his game.
Now back to the Nope movie. Contrary to the trailers, Nope is not a horror movie. It has elements that are creepy and frightening and downright unnerving, but Peele spends long stretches just hanging out with the characters where they're in no apparent danger at all. This is his craft. It is his way of storytelling that employs patience and character development as a key force of the emotional connection to the characters. Though most people might remember Jordan Peele from his comedy days in Key & Peele, the American filmmaker proved that he can be a more than competent thriller director when he released Get Out in 2017 to massive critical acclaim.
In both of his horror films, Peele creates true endings that leave the audience asking questions. The main question, however, is never “What happens next?” According to Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions, Peele “has no intention” of making a sequel to Get Out.
Nope is a long awaited film by Jordan Peele. For those conspiracy theorists, UFO trackers, and alien fanboys, you may love this one. The setting is wide open and the action is crystal clear and quite big.
If you haven't seen some of the hot films that are currently in theaters, consider minions, Thor, Love and Thunder and the biggest film of the summer as far as we're concerned, Top Gun Maverick. There are lots of other quality films in theaters so go check them out and let us know what you think.
TOP FIVE MOVIES RIGHT NOW
1. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) 68% #1. ...
2. Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) 36% #2. ...
3. The Gray Man (2022) 53% #3. ...
4. The Black Phone (2021) 83% #4. ...
5. Elvis (2022) 78% #5\
By T.C. Craig
