The 10 Scariest Moments From Jordan Peele's "Nope"

    This movie is a horror miracle, and not the bad kind.

    Anthony Orlando
    by Anthony Orlando

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Jordan Peele's latest cinematic nightmare has finally premiered in theaters, and it has succeeded in frightening and bewildering audiences everywhere.

    Universal / Giphy

    Just like with Get Out and Us, Peele has given audiences another terrifying spectacle filled with his trademark brand of humor and horror, making it one of the best and most original blockbusters of the year. So hold on to your hats, 'cause we're going to take a look at the 10 scariest moments from Jordan Peele's Nope.

    WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

    10. Otis Dies

    Otis about to fall off a horse in "Nope"
    Universal

    The film’s inciting incident presents a seemingly ordinary day at Haywood Ranch as Otis and O.J. tend to their horses. But that all changes when debris inexplicably falls from the sky, with a metal coin shooting through Otis’s skull like a speeding bullet, killing him.

    9. Aliens in the Stable

    OJ walking away from an approaching alien in "Nope"
    Universal

    When O.J. walks through his stables one night, he is shocked to see a group of aliens appear to him from the shadows. These uninvited visitors create an ominous presence with their big, gray heads and slow, apelike movements. However, after O.J. punches one of them in the face, the aliens reveal themselves to be Jupe’s kids pranking them for stealing their fake horse. 

    8. Antlers Sings

    Antlers drinking a glass of water in "Nope"
    Universal

    On the night before the heroes try to capture footage of the UFO, which they humorously named “Jean Jacket,” Antlers suddenly starts singing “One-Eyed, One-Horned, Flying Purple People Eater.” Actor Michael Wincott really sets a foreboding mood with his deep voice and his unsettling song choice, all of which invokes Quint from Jaws singing before he and his allies face off against their own great beast.

    7. Repainting the House

    The Haywood house being rained on with blood in "Nope"
    Universal

    As Em and Angel sit in the Haywood home, they get an unexpected visitor when Jean Jacket hovers right above the house. The alien creature then begins vomiting out the contents of its stomach, and the house becomes drenched with blood. At this point, it’s safe to say this alien doesn’t like them that much.

    6. Waiting in the Truck

    OJ looking up at the UFO from his truck in "Nope"
    Universal

    Returning home from Jupe's carnival, O.J. sees Jean Jacket hovering over his house in the rain like an umbrella. He can't help but take a peek at the flying saucer above, but with a simple "Nope," he decides to stay in his truck and wait until the alien disappears. And so, he sits there silently in aching suspense until the alien spits out the Haywoods' plastic horse right on his windshield.

    5. The Morning After

    OJ walking through the foggy and gray Haywood Ranch in "Nope"
    Universal

    Waking up in his truck after hiding from Jean Jacket, O.J. finds that his ranch has turned into a dark and foggy wasteland straight out of Silent Hill. Knowing Em and Angel are still in the house, O.J. carefully goes to the latter's truck to help them escape. It's a haunting and suspenseful scene made even creepier by Corey Hart's distorted rendition of "Sunglasses at Night" playing on the radio.

    4. The Top of the Mountain

    Antlers screaming in a whirlwind in "Nope"
    Universal

    Though our protagonists succeed in capturing footage of Jean Jacket, Antlers becomes so overcome by the sight of this alien creature that he decides to take his camera, saying, “We don’t deserve the impossible.” The veteran cinematographer then goes to the top of the hill and keeps filming to get the perfect shot, but this proves to be his downfall as the alien sucks him up and swallows him whole, along with his camera.

    3. Head in the Clouds

    Em standing outside at night in "Nope"
    Universal

    At this point in the film, O.J. and Em have set up cameras around their ranch to get a shot of Jean Jacket. Once night covers the land, we see the creature suck up into the sky the decoy horse Em had stolen, revealing itself to be hiding in one of the clouds. It's a unique way to portray a "UFO," especially with how the rainbow-colored banner marks its presence in the night sky.

    2. Gordy Attacks

    A young Jupe about to fist bump Gordy in "Nope"
    Universal

    While this film is about aliens, it strangely begins with a shot of a monkey sitting next to a dead body on an abandoned TV set. We later learn that this is a flashback to when Jupe starred in the sitcom Gordy’s Home, which featured a monkey that went berserk. As the young Jupe hides beneath a table, through his eyes, we see Gordy maul his costars and eventually crawl up to him. But just as the monkey and Jupe are about to fist-bump, the authorities arrive and shoot the primate dead right in front of Jupe. Not the kind of sitcom you’d want to watch with the kids.

    1. The Star Lasso Experience

    Jupe looking up at the sky in "Nope"
    Universal

    In this scene, Jupe introduces his latest attraction. He reveals that he has been in contact with the UFO, which he says is piloted by beings known as “the Viewers,” and is offering his audience the chance to see them in person. Using a horse to lure in the aliens, Jean Jacket appears out of the clouds, and everyone stares at it in awe. But things take a turn for the worse when the UFO swallows Jupe, his family, and everyone in the audience, with the horse ironically being the only survivor. And so, just as Gordy's Home failed to control its titular monkey, so did Jupe lose control of his main attraction, leading to a truly horrifying spectacle.

    Do you agree with this list? Are there any other scary Nope moments that I missed? Please let me know in the comments section below.