Jordan Peele’s third theatrical film, Nope, opens on a random act of violence, a nightmare scenario in which a child watches his longtime friend and acting partner suddenly go berserk and viciously attack his TV parents, then becomes further traumatized when said friend is shot dead in front of him. That darkness haunts Jupe throughout the rest of his life, whether it’s through Saturday Night Live sketches or when you finally see the facade break as he recounts how he found himself focusing on a random upright shoe. For as much as Nope has been called an examination of how the Hollywood machinery consumes and spits up its talent, particularly those who are minorities, it’s equally a tragedy about how sometimes, kids learn the wrong lesson from a life-changing event. Confident that his previous offerings of horses mean he’s made a kinship with Jean Jacket, you can see the instant regret in his eyes before he and everyone else in the park become devoured in the film’s most gruesome scene. Rest in peace, you charming, naive dope.
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