NOPE
A brilliantly made UFO horror, marred by way too much foul language.
Should You Watch It?
NOPE is a unique, well-made science fiction horror movie with an exciting finish. Its strange UFO becomes a frightening monster, and the movie combines ideas from many earlier science fiction and horror films while creating something distinctive of its own.
The movie also offers positive moral elements. Its characters show heroic courage, family loyalty, compassion toward people and horses, and ingenuity in facing danger. But those strengths come with heavy foul language, several horrifying bloody images, many scary scenes, and a crude reference to the sister’s sexual relationship with her female therapist.
If you are a discerning adult who can handle those concerns, this is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESOJ Haywood has inherited his family’s isolated horse-wrangling ranch in a desert mountain gulch near Los Angeles. When strange events in the sky begin frightening the horses—and then killing people—OJ and his sister, Emerald, seek help from an electronics expert and a quirky cinematographer.
Together, they try to film, entice, and destroy the mysterious UFO. What follows is a scary science fiction adventure involving a family business, an unusual carnival, and a dangerous creature in the sky.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means NOPE is an exceptionally well-made and entertaining film. It is a unique UFO movie that also works as a scary monster movie, combining elements from older monster and UFO movies with more modern science fiction and horror thrillers.
The UFO itself is distinctive, and the plan to entrap it is clever and fun. The climax and resolution are exciting. The movie’s mix of horror, science fiction, and adventure gives it energy, even though the heavy language and crude sexual reference needlessly damage the experience.
The Worldview
NOPE presents a light moral worldview. It promotes heroic courage, family, compassion toward people and horses, and ingenuity in the face of danger. These qualities are contrasted with the animalistic brutality of the movie’s two scary monsters, including a rampaging chimpanzee.
The film also contains some strong pro-capitalist elements, particularly as its Black hero takes over the family business after his father dies suddenly. However, the sister’s crude reference to a lesbian affair with her therapist is a significant moral concern. The movie’s positive treatment of courage and compassion is weakened by its heavy foul language and this unnecessary sexual material.
The film’s compassion toward animals can prompt a biblical reflection: “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast” (Proverbs 12:10).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Light moral worldview in a scary science fiction movie promotes heroic courage, family and compassion toward people and horses, which is contrasted with the animalistic brutality of the movie’s two scary monsters, one of whom is a rampaging chimpanzee, with some strong pro-capitalist elements where the movie’s black hero takes over the family business when his father dies suddenly, marred by a crude reference to a lesbian affair the hero’s sister had with her therapist
Foul Language
About 121 obscenities (about 45 “f” words and 45 or more “s” words), five GD profanities, two light profanities
Violence
Brief extreme violence when a rampaging chimpanzee that’s killed two people is suddenly shot as it stares at young boy hiding under a table with a see-through tablecloth hanging down between them and images of blood around the chimp’s mouth and around its mouth, man falls off his horse, and it turns out he was hit by a quarter which fell from a small plane flying high above, a brief gruesome image of the dead man’s eye where the quarter hit it and penetrated his brain, a UFO forms dust tornadoes to the ground to sweep up human victims, a few obscured images of people inside the UFO screaming in horror, UFO chases man riding a horse, UFO chases people, motorcycle engine suddenly cuts out, and the man riding motorcycle is flung forward 20 or so feet, woman rides motorcycle through some police tape, it’s implied that the UFO has kidnapped and eaten a bunch of people at an outdoor carnival show, human blood mixed with water rains down on a large multi-story ranch house one night and the next day viewers can see red stains from the blood around the house and its porch, but [SPOILER] UFO is eventually ripped apart and destroyed
Sex
No sex scenes, but it’s lightly implied in one or two lines that the lead female character dates other women and she crudely says she’s fooled around with her female therapist
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
Some alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
Lead female character vapes several times in the movie, but there are no drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Hero’s sister seems a bit self-absorbed.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
OJ, Emerald, Angel, and the cinematographer show courage when facing a terrifying threat. What does biblical courage look like when you are afraid?
Joshua 1:9 · Psalm 56:3The film contrasts compassion toward horses and people with animalistic brutality. How should Christians show care for God’s creatures and for one another?
Proverbs 12:10 · Ephesians 4:32The family ranch carries both grief and responsibility after the father’s death. How can a family honor its responsibilities while making room for sorrow?
Romans 12:15 · Galatians 6:2The characters use ingenuity to confront danger. How can wisdom and courage work together rather than relying on fear or impulsiveness?
Proverbs 3:5–7 · James 1:5The Final Word
NOPE is distinctive, exciting, and well made, with admirable courage, compassion, and family themes. But its heavy foul language, frightening violence, and crude sexual reference make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults, it is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other family viewing, choose.
