Jordan Peele reimagines the summer movie with NOPE, an expansive epic of uncanny science fiction. Following their father’s shocking death, Hollywood animal wrangler OJ (Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Palmer) begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast Southern California ranch that leads them down an obsessive rabbit hole as they plot attempts to capture the mystery on camera. Along with a former child star turned family theme park ringmaster (Yeun) who neighbors the siblings, the pair’s efforts to chase the spectacle soon bring terrifying consequences and unimaginable horror. The result is a complex social thriller that unpacks the seeds of violence, risk and opportunism that are inseparable from the romanticized history of the American West … and from show business itself.

For in-depth thoughts on Nope, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Nope comes to Blu-Ray in a striking 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio that truly wows in high definition. This film is also available on 4K UHD Blu-Ray which was not made available to me for review. Jordan Peele continues to flex and develop his mastery of the camera for maximum aesthetic wonder. From beginning to end, this format provides immense clarity with subtle flourishes of the environments and clothing coming through crystal clear. Color saturation is lovely with the earthy color palette consistently stunning throughout. Skin tones are natural to the lighting choices, although a lot of exposed skin is covered in all manner of cuts, bruises and perspiration as the film progresses. The locations provide a lot of opportunity for fine detail and the gritty land to pop off the screen. Black levels are extremely deep and do not fall victim to any noticeable digital noise or nuisances of the sort. While the 4K UHD Blu-Ray likely takes things up another level, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has pushed the Blu-Ray format to its limit.

Audio Quality

The Dolby Atmos track matches the 5-star presentation of the video quality. Peele provides consistent activity in this precisely paced film which maximizes the effect of all of the speakers. The activity overhead in particular stands out as a vital part of the sound design for obvious reasons. These height channels often complement with additional texture, but it takes on the full weight of certain moments at points. This film can get very intense with some thrilling moments that knock you a bit sideways. Dialogue comes through perfectly clear and never gets subdued by any sound effects or the score. All of the sounds have a distinct sense of direction within the mix with panning effects moving around the speakers in exciting ways. The low end is a beast with its response which pulses through the room with a formidable presence. This mix is dynamic and immersive in a way that enhances the viewing experience tenfold. There are optional English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles provided.

Special Features

Deleted Scene: Five unused scenes totaling nearly ten minutes are provided here featuring an interesting array of material which is well worth exploring including an unsettling attack scene. with Terry.

Gag Reel: A nearly six-minute collection of flubbed or forgotten lines, goofing around, malfunctioning props and more.

Shadows – The Making Of Nope: A terrific 56-minute documentary which explores the creation of this film including the direction of Peele, the deeper themes of the story, the look of the film, the locations used for shooting, the performances, working with horses and more.

Call Him Jean Jacket: A 14-minute piece which fixates on the origins and concepts around Jean Jacket, the designs, how the sky factors into the film, the sound design and more.

Mystery Man Of Muybridge: A nearly six-minute at a pivotal aspect of the film and the deeper ideas behind it.

Final Thoughts

Nope is another challenging and thrilling effort from one of the most forward-thinking filmmakers in the game today on a studio level. There is a degree of spectacle and genre-fare on the surface that hits your basic entertainment needs, but there is a deeper, more satisfying undercurrent which elevates it to something of grand artistic merit. This may not be the strongest of his three feature directorial efforts, but it stands tall among his overall output. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with an excellent A/V presentation and some enthralling special features. This is well worth a spot in anyone’s collection. Highly Recommended

Nope is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.