By John Corrado

Please note that this is a review of the Blu-ray release of Nope. For my full thoughts on the film itself, you can read my original theatrical review right here.

After being released in theatres over the summer, Universal Pictures is releasing Jordan Peele’s (Get Out, Us) third film Nope on Blu-ray (and 4K Ultra HD) this week.

The sci-fi horror film follows OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer), a brother and sister who encounter something in the sky above their Hollywood horse ranch, and I was a big fan of this one.

It’s an ambitious, exhilarating blockbuster experience that works as pure spectacle, while also cleverly working in some deeper themes about exploitation in the media. Peele doesn’t provide all the answers, but the film’s apparent loose ends add to the wonderfully beguiling nature of it all. It’s capped off by thrilling sound design and immersive cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema, including shooting day for night.

Film Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)

Bonus Features (Blu-ray):

The Blu-ray comes with a good selection of bonus material, about ninety minutes worth in total. A regular DVD is also included in the set, which ships with a slipcover.

• Deleted Scenes (Play All – 9 minutes, 25 seconds): A selection of five moments snipped from the film, some of which feel more like extended scenes. They don’t really add much to the story, but are still worth checking out, including for a look at Terry Notary’s (The Square) incredible mo-cap performance as the chimp Gordy in its pre-CGI form in the scene Terry Attack.

• The Hiker (1 minute, 57 seconds)

• Mallory (1 minute, 10 seconds)

• The Offer (42 seconds)

• Terry Attack (4 minutes, 19 seconds)

• Be Careful (1 minute, 31 seconds)

• Gag Reel (5 minutes, 29 seconds): A pretty typical gag reel, though the standard definition presentation is somewhat jarring.

• Shadows: The Making of Nope (56 minutes, 5 seconds): This nearly hour-long behind the scenes documentary is the centrepiece of the bonuses. It offers a solid overview of the production, including the building of practical sets, shooting on 70mm IMAX cameras, and the crafting of several set-pieces. The cast and crew also discuss some deeper themes of the story, and it culminates with Peele’s on-set wrap speech, which is nice to hear.

• Call Him Jean Jacket (14 minutes, 22 seconds): A good companion to the longer piece, this featurette focuses specifically on the conceptualization and design of the alien creature known as Jean Jacket, and how his appearance in the film is enhanced by the score and sound design.

• Mystery Man of Muybridge (5 minutes, 30 seconds): A deeper look at Eadweard Muybridge’s 1878 film clip of an anonymous Black jockey riding a horse, and how Peele ties this bit of film history into his movie.

Nope is a Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release. It’s 131 minutes and rated 14A.

Street Date: October 25th, 2022