So. Fucking. Good. The parallelism really got me in this one. This isn’t what I expected in the best way possible.

Edit:
I think this film explores a lot of ideas that especially in the present day, are incredibly palpable in the ether of social media. The struggle for fame. Attention. Notoriety. It’s almost as important as surviving. And that’s expertly depicted in this film.

There are no true character foils for the protagonists of this story, which is reminiscent of real life. The idea that we’re all our own worst enemy. There’s no “big bad” but ourselves and the position we choose to find each other in. You see OJ struggling to keep his family’s legacy and ranch afloat, and Emerald looking to do the same while simultaneously chasing her own dreams. 

It’s a story about control. Over ourselves, our lives, even over others. Gordy, Ghost and Jean Jacket were proof that control isn’t always possible. Jupe’s relationship with both animals was exploitative and his choice to capitalize off of his trauma instead of learning his lesson was something you would 100% see in real life. What I love about Jordan Peele as a director is that he’s able to film realistic behaviors within entirely unrealistic situations. You watch this movie and you think to yourself “of COURSE someone would do that.”

Take away the alien and you still have a compelling story that needs to be told. That’s what kept me engaged. I felt connected to the characters, their motivations and it was an overall incredible moviegoing experience.

P.S. few can do a soundtrack quite like Michael Abels. Shouts to the 🐐