That seems like an extraneous detail, but nothing is truly extra in a Jordan Peele movie. The Haywood’s ancestors were the first Black stuntpeople and animal wranglers in Hollywood, going back to the earliest days of movie making. Speaking of cameos, the opening scene of “Nope” features Keith David as Otis Sr., head of Haywood Hollywood Horses, the family business. He also includes a nice cameo from nighttime soap opera legend Donna Mills. That shoot goes awry, but not before Peele drops some breadcrumbs that will lead viewers through the forest he’s built for us to get lost inside. ( Daniel Kaluuya) with the animal hired for the ad. She arrived late to assist her horse-wrangler brother Otis Jr. Prior to the pitch for work scene, Holst and Emerald met on the set of a commercial he was shooting. If that is true, then Holst’s final scene says a lot about his creator it’s a moment of self-sacrifice in lieu of the perfect camera shot. There is no equivalent performance in “Nope” to anchor viewers, and it’s about three times as messy, but I got the feeling that Holst is Peele’s stand-in, that is, the director is revealing to us through a character that he made this film to amuse and please himself. It was also powered by a career-best performance by Lupita Nyong’o, whose dual role was unshakably strange and multilayered.

In response to a pitch for his services, cinematographer Antlers Holst ( Michael Wincott) tells Emerald Haywood ( Keke Palmer) that he “makes one movie for them, and one for me.” This is a callback to John Cassavetes’ philosophy/excuse for appearing in trash-the pay allowed him to finance the movies he wanted to create.Īfter the massively entertaining, Oscar-winning calling card of “ Get Out,” Jordan Peele moved toward a hybrid of audience pleaser and filmmaker’s jones with “ Us.” That film was less blatant and required more work on the audience’s part, which made it fascinating for some and frustrating for others.

So, I’ve been replaying a throwaway line of dialogue in my head as a potential explanation for how “Nope” is constructed and executed.

It’s why I attend David Lynch movies despite never being a fan of the director’s work. I’ve always had begrudging respect for a filmmaker who refuses to cater to a viewer’s pre-ordained expectations, even if said viewer is yours truly.

Made to Forget... by Sam Goodno