Jordan Peele has only directed two movies, Get Out and Us, and his third movie, Nope, has just been released to rave reviews. There's so much mystery surrounding the alien invasion movie, and it looks like it's going to have Peele's signature expectation-subverting payoff.
However, a filmmaker who gets such immediate success and is showered with awards and other accolades will always have their haters, and Peele is no different. Between criticizing his social commentary approach, comparing him to other less revered directors, and claiming he's better at comedy, some Redditors aren't as excited for Nope as others.
His Movies Lack Subtlety
It's no secret that the filmmaker's movies are social commentaries, whether it's racism amongst middle-class liberal families in Get Out or American privilege in Us. But Pretend-Subtlety5077 believes that the movies lack subtlety and their themes are too on the nose. The Redditor argues, "His symbolism is so overt and in your face it's obnoxious. Any impact it might have had is lost."
While it's true that Peele's films might not be subtle, that's exactly why the movies have so much impact and why they stand out from other releases. Most movies are packed with vague symbolism, but Get Out and Us are unapologetically to the point, and it's refreshing seeing a movie like that.
James Wan Is A Better Horror Director
TheGargoyleKing doesn't understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to Peele and thinks James Wan is a superior horror director. The Redditor notes, "James Wan's been making some of the best horror movies since 2004, and his name isn't tossed around half as much as Peele's." Wan is a great director with some true classics in his filmography, most notably Saw and Insidious, but he has a much lower batting average than Peele, his films are hit or miss, and he has been criticized for using too many jump scares.
The Redditor is seemingly pitting the two against each other because they're the most financially successful horror directors. There are tons of other influential horror directors currently working today, such as John Krasinski, who directed the A Quiet Place movies, and Robert Eggers, who directed The Witch and The Lighthouse. However, when taking into account box office success, critical acclaim, and accolades, Peele beats out any of them.
Peele Is The Next M. Night Shyamalan
Given that Nope is an alien invasion movie like Signs, Reddit user RadioHitandRun thinks that the celebrated director is the next M. Night Shyamalan. The Redditor posits, "M. Night's first commercial success is considered a great movie, same as Jordan. Second movie is middling, not good, not great. Both directors share this. Third movie is about country aliens."
The user is seemingly predicting that audiences will soon catch on to Peele's tricks and that he'll end up making critically panned movies, just like what happened with Shyamalan. But though Peele's early career trajectory does have the same pattern as Shyamalan's, that doesn't mean they're the same or that Peele will end up releasing subpar movies. The two directors have completely different filmmaking styles, and early reviews have expressed how great, shocking, and entertaining Nope is, which is quite a different reception from Signs' reviews.
Get Out Is Overrated
In an extremely long post where they write an essay about what's wrong with it, Cucky_Charm thinks Get Out is criminally overrated. Amongst many other things, the Redditor thinks the film doesn't do a good job of pairing its meaning with its plot, noting that it should have a "stronger plot, a plot that's more believable, more character-driven, more emotionally engaging, you know... better."
It's only natural that Get Out has a pocket of haters, as any beloved and award-winning movie has its critics, especially ones that are social commentaries. But when it comes to the Twilight Zone-inspired concept of the movie, it isn't exactly attempting to be believable.
Us Is Stupid
Us is one of those movies where even critics got caught up in the release's hype. The film was critically lauded upon its release, but three years later, it's considered a flawed but fun horror film that pulls off some clever tricks. However, Makmugens thinks the movie has no redeeming qualities and is completely stupid.
The Redditor notes, "It was as if Peele was trying hard to be mysterious, subtle, smart, and symbolic, but it came off very on-the-nose, poorly directed, and juvenile." In fairness, the plot could easily be picked apart, it does require audiences to suspend their disbelief, and some think the ending ruins the movie, but it is in no way poorly directed. Ignoring the plot holes, Us is a tight, lean, and terrifying horror movie.
Get Out Is Derivative Of The Stepford Wives
iWriteiWrong argues that Get Out completely ripped off the 1975 classic The Stepford Wives. The Redditor argues, "Get Out was horrible. It was a racial Stepford Wives. it wasn’t original, authentic, or interesting." The Stepford Wives is a satirical horror movie where men have their wives replaced by identical-looking robots, and they do everything that the men desire.
The movie clearly influenced Get Out, but it wasn't the sole inspiration. Get Out is a mix of the drama Guess Who's Coming To Dinner and the psychological horror Rosemary's Baby. That's all blended into a completely original story that nobody could have thought of other than Peele.
His Movies Are Average, Artsy Horror Flicks
Peele clearly takes pride in writing and directing entertaining and endlessly surprising movies that look great aesthetically and have interesting messages. But DiscoSandwich shrugs the movies off as nothing more than average, artsy horror flicks. The Redditor comments, "Most people hold them higher than the average film, but they're really just... Average. Not horrible, not amazing. Every schmuck wants to find a deeper meaning in anything artsy."
While it's fine that some viewers don't want messages in their movies, Peele has elevated the horror genre into something much more. Horror movies struggle to be three-dimensional and anything more than a cheap-thrills slasher flick, and Peele is one of the few who is the best at that.
He's Better At Comedy Than Horror
When Get Out was first released in 2017, it came as a huge shock to everybody that it was written and directed by Peele. The horror movie initially seemed way outside his wheelhouse, as he was best known for his comedy in Key & Peele, and he's even the voice of Ducky in Toy Stoy 4. And HiveMindKing thinks his comedy more than his horror directing.
The Redditor simply states, "I liked his comedy better…" While it's an unpopular opinion given the heaps of praise Peele has gotten for his movies, not to mention the combined $500 million the two movies have made, it's an understandable take. Peele is a great comedian, and Key & Peele is the funniest sketch show right now. It even puts the long-running Saturday Night Live to shame.
Us Is Better Than Get Out
While Jdhazel65 admits they think Get Out is great, they still think Us is the superior Peele-directed movie, and they're one of the few. The Redditor notes, "The look of the film was amazing and parts scared the crap out of my horror movie-loving self." They add that they loved the underlying story and the social commentary.
If viewers are willing to overlook the glaring plotholes, Us has an incredible narrative. The horror movie is also much scarier than Get Out, Lupita Nyong'o is absolutely terrifying as Red, and it's the best performance in a Peele movie. Not to mention that Peele had developed as a filmmaker, as its pacing and suspense-building are better too.