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Plot Summary: The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

Director: Jordan Peele

Writer: Jordan Peele

Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes

• Daniel Kaluuya as OJ Haywood
• Keke Palmer as Emerald Haywood
• Brandon Perea as Angel Torres
• Michael WIncott as Antlers Holst
• Steven Yeun as Ricky 'Jupe' Park

Review by: Samuel

What I Didn’t Like

Let’s start with my dislikes because it’s incredibly short. Steven Yeun plays a character who is a former child tv star that now runs a fair ground with his wife. I did not care for his backstory at all in the context of the overall plot. I think I understand what Peele was trying to show with it, but I think it  could have been removed and the film wouldn’t have lost a beat.

What I Liked

I truly enjoyed this movie…a WHOLE lot. There’s so much to love but I’ll keep it to three items:

• The cinematography: This film belongs up there with ‘The Batman’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ as the best-looking movies of the year. Like Maverick, I might have to watch a behind-the-scenes video to understand how they made this film because some of these shots are fantastical. The movie was made with Imax cameras and it honestly should be shown in film schools. Obviously with great equipment it looks good (as in you can pick out screenshots) but in particular, the nighttime scenes are unbelievable. I’ve never seen a movie shoot at night where its clearly dark outside but somehow you still see so much due to the lighting effects. I was in awe and this is a movie I say lends itself to the theater experience for sure.

• The story/tone: This is a story of two horse farmers, played by Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya, who spot a UFO over their farm. In order to get a perfect visual of it (what they call the “Oprah Shot”) and hopefully make money for the farm, they enlist the help of a tech guru, played by Brandon Perea, and a cinematographer, played by Michael Wincott. At first, they think it’s a harmless flying saucer, but soon realize there is more to it that that so their quest becomes more difficult than they originally thought. That is all I want to give away about the story without getting into spoilers. Watching this crew try to get this money shot of the UFO for 2 hours is equal parts hilarious and terrifying.Now I wouldn’t call this a horror movie, though there were quite a few times I said it’s title. I would classify it more of a thriller. It has its share of scares and when the tension is high- especially after the first act- you are on the edge of your seat. Now what is interesting and impressive is the movie is also very hilarious. But the two tones don’t go against each other. Somehow Peele found a way to make them complement each other. There’s even a moment when during a scene of high tension, the film finds a way to insert a very funny moment that makes you laugh right before sending you back to clenching your seat. I don’t think I’ve seen a movie mix tones this well so kudos.

• The characters: Holy cow the leads in this film knock it out the park. I honestly forget I’m watching a movie because of how engrossed I am due to their performances. I don’t know how much of it was Peele’s direction, but I have to believe he couldn’t have asked for a better representation of the characters he created. Daniel Kaluuya’s OJ is silent and stoic. He is dedicated to his work and maintaining the horse farm his father started. A line he keeps saying in the film is “I have to do work,” and that perfectly signifies what kind of man he is- he is not here to play. It’s easy for someone like that to seem unlikeable but Kaluuya has a way of showing so much emotion without speaking. For example, OJ doesn’t like speaking in public, but when his father passed away, he had to do it for the business. During this moment, without saying a word, you can clearly see the nervousness and uneasiness OJ has. Contrast that with Keke Palmer’s Em (OJ’s sister) who is extra outgoing and clearly the standout in the film. If you’ve seen the trailer, the snippet they show of her is how she is the whole movie- which is a great thing. She brings the energy and the comedy and it actually works well with OJ’s more stoic presence. Both of them never change up who they are and more importantly how they are so you really feel like you know them by the end of the first act (which focuses heavily on their family dynamic). Because of that, despite their opposing natures, you really just want both of them to succeed and make it to the end of this movie. That’s impressive to me because you’d normally expect to like the one lead that matches your personality more, but I honestly don’t think I have a favorite between them. Just to make sure I mention it, the two other characters helping them on their quest are also really good; they’re not dead weight in the movie. It’s just the family dynamic with the two siblings is very strong and what’s most noticeable.