The newest offering from director Jordan Peele, Nope, is a clever film where UFOs and horror are combined in exhilarating and sometimes humorous ways. Peele wrote and directed Nope, and it is easily one of my favorite films from him.

Nope is set on a horse ranch in a desert area of California. The ranch is owned by brothers Oj and Emerald Haywood, played by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, who inherited the ranch after their father was killed by an object falling from the sky. The brothers do freelance cinema work with their horses and in that pursuit they work with Ricky ‘Jupe’ Stark, played by Steven Yeun. When the brothers discover strange UFOs flying around the desert and the ranch they team up with tech salesman Angel Torres, played by Brandon Perea, and documentarian Antlers Holst, played by Michael Wincott, to try to get footage of the UFOs.

The title of the film is also a term that Oj uses when he’s scared, and it’s what many audience members will find themselves saying to the screen during the really scary parts of this horror flick. The combination of a stark desert setting, weird events, many strange backstories, and quirky characters really helps exhibit Peele’s wit and genius for disaster and terror. Nobody plays with tangents better than Peele, and his creativity for horror is stepped up many notches in this mellow but sleek thriller.

Nope was shot with IMAX cameras and that really adds extra layers of adrenaline and heightens the shock value. Peele is truly one who knows how to direct a thriller that is unpredictable, blindsiding, and a technological and unexpected ride to the unknown. Nope soars with color, terror, and a whole lot that is unexpected and spellbinding.

Nope is truly a masterpiece of creative directing. Peele’s work is growing to be more enticing all the time. I had my mind totally warped by Nope. It is a fun summer film that is filled with adrenaline and misdirection. Four stars for Nope.