By: Miguel Ernesto Yusty

NOP! is a film that blends horror with science fiction and has divided critical opinion, ranging from favorable to lukewarm. It's directed by Jordan Peele, who comes off the success of his previous film, US, released in 2019. NOP! posits that terror descends from the sky and strikes in the open countryside, featuring characters who train horses to act in movies. The spectacular scenery lends the film a visual quality that justifies seeing it in theaters, especially since it's a film about people in the film industry—in other words, ideal for cinephiles with a single, undivided interest in the genre.

NOP! is an auteur film, meaning that although Peele works within the industrial structure of American cinema, the film follows the director's whims. Great filmmakers have done the same; it just so happens that, sometimes, their whims coincide with the audience's taste. And to a large extent, this is the case with NOP!. Peele captures attention with well-developed characters who stand out from the average person, even though their basic needs are universal.

The script's dramatic intensity is amplified by the actors' excellent performances, which is one of the reasons for the success of NOP!, a film that has gained popularity through word of mouth. The actors in this film, in their personal lives, reflect the unsettling world the viewer encounters at the cinema. This is what makes the film so compelling: it speaks the language of everyday life, yet the kind of terror it creates is not only frightening but also disconcerting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifRwQ_FTvyk&t=8s