After World War II, the United States Air Force began an active study called Project BLUE BOOK to look into the numerous reports of unidentified flying objects better knows as UFOs. Sightings were popping up all around the U.S. and the globe. These encounters were reported by eyewitnesses ranged anywhere from highly trained military pilots to regular folks like you and me.

The goal of this military study seemed to have a labyrinth of different goals. Take statements from the public about what they witnessed, but debunk it with a terrestrial explanation. Uncover what these sightings were and what they mean for national security. Determine if what was being spotted in the skies was advanced technology from earthly foreign adversaries (uh oh) or objects from outer space (oh shit).

Move up the timeline to the summer of 2021. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence releases a very brief report basically saying, “we don’t really know what these objects are, but they are far superior in technology then anything we’ve ever seen.” Besides a turnaround from years of gaslighting the American public (little green men, you’re an idiot), the UFO acronym is changed to UAP or unidentified aerial phenomena. There’s some media frenzy suggesting that humanity might not be alone in the universe which is proof positive the human species is the dumbest and most arrogant carbon based lifeform anywhere. And because a huge saucer shaped mothership doesn’t appear on cue in the sky during these announcements, the media goes quiet. Eventually the general public turns back to it's TikToks, political squabbling and basic nastiness to their fellow earth inhabitants. Yet, somewhere out there, I like to think that Jordon Peele was following this news thread and he smiled to himself.

(SPOILERS AHEAD) Peele has the uncanny talent of making his work densely layered. You can take the deep dive into his themes of racism, a plastic polluted earth or other sentient creatures getting their comeuppance on us filthy humans. Or you can be like a happy, flat rock skipping across the surface of a dirty reservoir and enjoy Nope as an straight up UFO abduction story. It’s win/win either way. This is a great film which has forever altered my perspective on flying saucers being spacecrafts as well as making air dancers now cause me extreme dread. Smoke up, sit down, and say yep to Nope.