Summary: Two siblings running a horse ranch in California discover something sinister in the skies above, while the owner of an adjacent theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon.
Thoughts: “Nope” was an interesting movie! Peele seems to be testing boundaries in the horror genre and has some smart twists.
Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya are terrific actors and the cinematography is fantastic. This whole movie is beautifully shot with subplots and recurring themes that will leave room for the viewer’s interpretation. I think the movie had some great sound design and effects thereby bringing tension and horror to great heights.
What I liked most about the movie was the foreshadowing. Sometimes it was done subtly and other times obviously. The subtle details, highly detailed set, script, and outfits were well done. And as mentioned earlier, the sound effects were on point. It goes beyond typical horror noise cues, using unique sounds to build up scares. Overall, I thought it was pretty good but I enjoyed Jordan Peele’s first film “Get Out” a bit more.
Let’s dissect! Let’s talk about acoustic theory!
What is acoustic/sound theory in film?
Acoustic theory is a scientific field that relates to the description of sound waves and is derived from fluid dynamics. Sound design includes sound effects, dialogue, narration, and other audio impact the audience’s emotions. Film sound theory is commonly studied as part of understanding filmmaking and how films impact audiences. Moreover, sound design can heavily impact storytelling. Filmmakers use sound in various ways to effectively make it appear as if coming from one of various sources.
What sound effects were used in this horror films?
An article, “‘Nope’ sound designer Johnnie Burn reveals secrets of the sci-fi film’s alarming soundscape” discusses some important details. The article mentions that, “‘Nope’ was a chance to truly expand his aural imaginings to new dimensions by conjuring up a fantastic range of acoustic dreams and nightmares.”
More information can be found here:
https://www.space.com/nope-sci-fi-movie-sound-designer-interview