Film: Nope

Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, Steven Yeun, Wrenn Schmidt, Keith David, Devon Graye

Director: Jordan Peele

Rating: * * ½

Runtime: 130 min.

Director Jordon Peele (the one who stunned the world with the unexpected “Get Out” and “US” and became a worldwide phenomenon) is back with his third effort but this one, ‘Nope’ is just not a match for his earlier works. Nope, as the American slang for ‘No’ suggests, is rather contrary to his earlier oeuvre. The narrative of this film, though intriguing, has less of an impact and is rather niggardly in terms of fascination. The social commentary he is famed for just doesn’t come through as such.

Peele, in fact, appears to be banking on ambition and goodwill to carry this film through to the ever-growing fanfold he keeps accumulating along the way. Peele's third film is definitely bigger (filmed on Imax cameras) and has a much wider canvas and scope in terms of story (sci-fi) but the resultant narrative feels altogether simplistic, strange and totally muddled.