Why Is There “Abnormally Little Information” Just Before the Release of the Highly Anticipated Film “NOPE”?

No spoilers

Top Gun Maverick” grossed over 10.9 billion yen at the domestic box office, “Detective Conan: Halloween Bride” brought in 9.2 billion yen, and “Jurassic World: The New Dominion” recorded 4 billion yen in its three-week run in 2022. Most recently, “ONE PIECE FILM RED” surpassed 7 billion yen in 10 days (breaking the series’ all-time record), showing its phenomenal strength.

Among mini-theater films, “I am the Worst. The number of theaters that saw attendance for “I am the Worst,” in the week following its release, exceeded 100% of the previous week’s attendance. Of course, this does not mean an overall increase in the base, and there are still some films with insufficient numbers, and the impact of the new coronavirus and the rise of video distribution services is still strong. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that there has been an increase in positive news in the film industry in terms of box-office performance.

The next hit movie that will be of interest is the American movie “NOPE,” which opened in theaters on August 26.

Many of you are probably looking forward to seeing this film, as it is the latest from the director/starring duo of “Get Out,” which has gained a cult following among moviegoers and was nominated for Best Picture and four other categories (and won Best Screenplay) at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018. But for all that, doesn’t it seem as if the domestic industry surrounding the film has maintained an eerie silence? The fact that there has been an unusual lack of buzz about the film, which is bound to be exciting. ……

In fact, this is not because the film is unpopular at all, but because of the thorough control of information. It is a well-known story among movie buffs that the release date and time for reviews of high-profile films are often set, and often a confidentiality agreement (consent form) is signed before attending a preview.

In the case of “NOPE,” however, the level of caution is extremely high. The review ban was lifted one week before the film’s release, and only a handful of people were allowed to see the film prior to its Japanese release (of course, they were not allowed to tell anyone that they had seen the film until the ban was lifted). (Of course, the fact that they had seen the film was also forbidden to be mentioned until the ban was lifted.

In other words, the quietness of “NOPE” is “intended. This proves that the film contains that much shock value, which paradoxically has the effect of stirring up the expectations of core movie fans. The fact that there has been abnormally little information about the film despite the fact that it is about to be released in Japan, in fact, ignites the desire to see the film, as if there is something that can never be said.

Except for big-budget films such as “The Avengers,” it is usual to invite the mass media and audiences to previews to create a buzz by “showing off” the film to some extent. The fact that they do not provide such an opportunity can be seen as a sign of confidence in the film.

Such moves are similar to the “don’t tell us the ending” type of films such as “The Sixth Sense” and “Signs,” which were directed by M. Night Shyamalan at one time, and, most recently, the “Shin Spider-Man: No Way Home,” in which fans and the media, not to mention the officialdom, colluded to avoid spoilers.

The reversal of the idea is that the more you hide a controversial film, the more excitement you get out of it. And “NOPE” is the catalyst for the titles listed above.

So, what is so great about “NOPE”?　For the reasons stated above, I will not reveal the details of the film, but I will introduce it without spoiling the best part of the viewing experience.

The first reason why moviegoers are looking forward to this film is that it is the latest work by director Jordan Peele. The aforementioned “Get Out” is the story of a young black man who goes to greet his white girlfriend at her parents’ house and gets into a terrible ……. The film is a thriller that is both shocking and strong, with racist themes intertwined with unexpected twists and turns. It is a thriller that is both shocking and powerful. It is also a film that induces a “desire” to “talk about it after watching it” and “dig deeper and think about it more,” and has been the subject of numerous reviews by users.

The next film, “As,” tells the story of a doppelganger that attacks its victims. In addition to being an interesting horror thriller, this film also has content rooted in American history and urban legends, as well as references to classic and cult films of the past, making it a film that can be enjoyed by both light and heavy audiences, even if the layers are different.

Thus, for the second consecutive film directed by Jordan Peele, the originality and satisfaction level of the film was high, and the expectation among moviegoers that they would not be disappointed or be shown something they have never seen before was so widespread that they were eager to see the next film as soon as possible. NOPE” was made on this basis. This film, too, has enough material to arouse the desire to see it – even though only bits and pieces of its content have been revealed.

NOPE” is, to put it bluntly, a UFO film. A family runs a ranch in rural America. One day, the eldest son, OJ (Daniel Kaluuya), who took over the family business after his father was killed by a foreign object that fell from the sky, sees a huge flying object. What the hell is that thing? …… At the suggestion of his younger sister Emerald (Kiki Palmer), the siblings decide to film the flying object to create a buzz and make a fortune, but the filming is fraught with difficulties…

This synopsis alone sounds interesting, but Jordan Peele’s films draw in viewers with their ease of approach that requires no prior knowledge, but they “definitely don’t end there” (which is why there is a persistent spoiler ban).

Like “Get Out” and “As,” this film uses the classic “story of a man who encounters a UFO” situation to catch the viewer off guard, and then switches gears from there. The film takes a shocking turn, exactly as the title “NOPE” suggests.

I myself went into the film thinking, “If Jordan Peele makes a UFO movie, he must have something up his sleeve,” but I have to admit that I was taken aback. In a sense, “NOPE” is a film that “overturns the conventional wisdom of UFO films” by taking the conventional UFO film and turning it on its head. As I am writing this article, I am still suppressing the urge to say something about it, and it still has the magical power to make you want to talk about it after you finish watching it.

Moreover, the strength of Peel’s work is that it is not a one-shot hit with a prop-like idea. While the aforementioned surprises are definitely “a blast to see in the theater,” the cynical and serious themes and message, as well as the human drama of the siblings overcoming their father’s death, are all connected to the “depth” of the film.

Just as “Get Out” depicted the madness of man’s search for superior bodies and genes, and “As” used the “underground” as a metaphor, “NOPE” also contains many allegorical elements. We hope you will pay attention to what scene the film opens with and what role it will play in the film as a whole.

The film “NOPE” is sure to be the next “eye of the typhoon,” attracting both the light and the core, and also containing the joy of actively thinking “Maybe that’s what it meant” after watching the film.

NOPE
Release Date: August 26 (Fri.) in theaters nationwide
Distributor: Toho Towa
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