HALF-DROWNED HOUND 
Nope
Like Get Out before it, Nope portrays its message so well that it feels almost silly to try to comment on it in any sort of intellectual way, but here goes.
This film reinvigorated my love for movies. I'd been burnt out for a while, having watched... three? between August and December, but man, seeing such a good one for the first time just really put a passion back into me like nothing else. Even better, it's by one of my favorite horror creators and my favorite sub-subgenre of horror (sci-fi creature feature).
I'd heard so much about Jean Jacket being a unique and even revolutionary creature that it kept me champing at the bit (get it? cuz horses? haha... ha...) to learn every little thing about it. And the fact that it was alive at all being a plot twist? All the better! The way it was clearly organic but looked almost manmade inside and out is fascinating, especially when put into the context of the overarching theme. It may look like someone stuck a ventilation system in a flying saucer-shaped bouncy house, but underneath that seemingly artificial appearance is a real living being, and a shockingly vulnerable one at that. Not to say it isn't hugely powerful, of course, but when's the last time you saw a terrifying, barely-comprehensible creature choke to death? But, while OJ and Em did technically exploit it (though not as a violation of autonomy or trivialization of trauma like Gordy and Jupe went through), they also recognized it for what it was. Too bad that also involved having to kill it, but y'know, it's the principle of the thing. Side note: in its true, less (outwardly) artificial-looking form, it's absolutely gorgeous; it's evocative of an angel on purpose, but it also reminded me of a bizarre sea creature, like something scientists are going to find living in the depths of the ocean someday.
The human characters in Nope are also a huge charm point. Horror movies can lack in depth for characters, and Peele could've copped out with them and focused all his energy on Jean Jacket, but he actually made a wonderful cast of characters that have made a lasting impression on me. Honestly, after the movie finished, I actually started crying in real life because I was so proud of them for pulling off their plan. I was in love with Em's character from the moment she appeared onscreen, and OJ was wonderful as a quiet, analytical, and beautifully intelligent protagonist. Jupe broke my heart- the scene with him and Gordy also made me cry- and I did think it was a very interesting choice to make him be more actively exploitative of Jean Jacket. How could you blame him? He was a child actor, one whose severe trauma was played for laughs on SNL, no less; exploitation is all he's ever known. I had to laugh at Holst being greedy in his quest for footage and letting himself die for his art; as someone who is and was educated by creatives, it felt all too familiar. Finally, Angel, who bugged the piss out of me at first- though I can't say him oversharing about his breakup to OJ wasn't extremely relatable- endeared himself to me by the end of the movie.
And of course, it wouldn't be a Jordan Peele film without the social commentary, another favorite of mine in the horror genre. It lays bare the ills of Hollywood- exploitation, racism, animal cruelty- in a way that's impossible to ignore or brush off as secondary to the real plot. The things that happen in Nope happen because of exploitation; they just happen to involve a giant, otherworldly man-eater this time. It's a creature in a story, not the story itself. Does this sound too pseudo-intellectual? Anyway, it's amazing, and it needed to be said, and always, Peele wrapped it up in a delightful package... which proves his point even more, really. The drama! The angst! The spectacle!
Also, shout-out to him for making a neo-Western sci-fi horror film. It's an unintuitive combination of genres, but it doesn't get in the way of itself- it's confident in what it is. Between this and Pahanhautoja, horror fans ate REAL good in 2022- everyone say thank you, Mr. Peele!!