The Big Picture
Even though he only has three films under his belt, Jordan Peele has accumulated a number of traits during his filmmaking career. There are deceptively simple plots that hide layers of meaning. Don’t forget the outlandish science fiction elements, including evil duplicates and brain transplants. And of course, there are the distinct visuals, from a pair of golden scissors to a man falling into the inky shadows of the “Sunken Place.” In addition to all that, Get Out, Us, and Nope all have something else in common: Each one features a Bible verse, and touches upon what happens when man dares to play with forces outside his comprehension.
‘Get Out’s Villains Try to Play God
First up is Get Out. Though the film technically opens with Andre Hayworth (LaKeith Stanfield) being abducted by a mysterious figure while strolling the suburbs, Peele’s script has a verse from the Bible on its first page, specifically Romans 12: 1-2. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” That verse turns out to be eerily prophetic when it comes to the plight that Get Out’s protagonist Chris Williams (Daniel Kaluuya) faces. Chris and his girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) go to visit her parents, Dean (Bradley Whitford) and Missy (Catherine Keener), for the weekend, and Chris starts to notice a growing number of disturbing occurrences.
It all leads to the revelation that the Armitages have been kidnapping Black men and women and performing brain surgery on them in order to give the members of their social circle the “natural advantages” they believe Black people have. Missy hypnotizes the victims, leaving their consciousness in the “Sunken Place” while Dean performs the transplant. The final piece of the puzzle is Rose, who’s lured dozens of victims to the Armitage house, though her brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones) often uses more violent methods. Chris is the latest in a long line of victims.
This leads to the recurring element of “man playing God” in Peele’s films. Dean even more or less says as much while gazing into a crackling fire. “Even the sun will die someday,” he tells Chris. “But we are divine. We are the gods trapped in cocoons.” Ultimately the Armitages’ hubris comes back to bite them, as Chris manages to escape, killing Dean, Missy and Jeremy in the process. Even Rose meets a gruesome fate, as Chris manages to free the Armitages’ groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Henderson) from the thrall Rose’s grandfather Roman has on him. Walter fatally shoots Rose, then blows his own head off, effectively ending the Armitages’ twisted attempt at godhood.
The Tethered From ‘Us’ Bring About a Biblical Reckoning
That same level of Biblical reckoning plays throughout Peele’s sophomore effort, Us. What should be a relaxing family vacation for Adelaide Wilson (Lupita N’yongo) turns terrifying when a mysterious group of beings known as the “Tethered” attack her and her family. The Tethered move with inhuman speed and strength, and if the razor sharp scissors they carry weren’t horrible enough, they are a dead match for Adelaide, her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and children Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). As the film unravels the mystery of the Tethered, it’s revealed that they were the product of an experiment by the government. Even more horrifying, it turns out that Adelaide’s clone Red is the real Adelaide; her Tethered left her underground and took her place.
Yet again, a reckoning of Biblical proportions takes place, as Red grows vengeful and plots to take back her life. The other Tethered are shown to look at her as some sort of messiah, especially when they realize she’s not like them; other Tethered are shown killing their counterparts, including the Wilsons’ neighbors, the Tylers. And another Bible verse recurs throughout the film — in this case, Jeremiah 11:11, with the numbers 11 popping up in various places including a sports score and a sign a homeless man is holding. The verse itself is yet again prophetic, as it outlines the fallout from the Tethered experiment: “Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.” The Wilsons are on their own; no one comes to help them, and it’s implied that the Tethered will continue to cut a swath of destruction throughout the United States by film’s end.
‘Nope’s Angelic Being Turns Deadly
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Finally, Nope opens with a Bible verse from the prophet Nahum: “I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.” Once again this refers to the events of the film, specifically the “UFO” Jean Jacket, which bears little regard for its victims and leaves destruction in its wake, devouring whatever looks at it. And once again, the arrogance of man leads to his downfall, especially where Ricky “Jupe” Park (Steven Yeun) is concerned.
Having made a living off profiting from a tragic event in his youth, Jupe aims to take it up a notch by offering a horse as an offering to Jean Jacket before a live audience. However, the extraterrestrial ends up devouring him and his audience, resulting in a rather disturbing spectacle. And later in the film, Jean Jacket shifts from its standard “UFO” shape to a winged, more ethereal shape. Not only is this visually stunning (and quite disturbing), but it makes the extraterrestrial resemble an angel of sorts. With Nope scoring the #1 spot at the box office and marking a three-time achievement for Peele, it’s clear that audiences want more of his not-so-heavenly stories.
