Jordan Peele’s latest horror flick Nope has now been released in UK cinemas – and just like the director’s two previous films, Get Out and Us, the movie contains all sorts of memorable moments and striking images.
The main plot sees siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em (Keke Palmer) attempt to get to the bottom of a mysterious UFO that has appeared in the sky above their ranch, with the pair enlisting help from various sources as they attempt to capture the strange presence on camera.
But one of the most unforgettable aspects of the film is linked to another character – a former child actor named Ricky ‘Jupe’ Park (Steven Yeun) who now spends his life profiting off a traumatic incident from his youth.
That incident relates to his former co-star Gordy the Monkey – read on for everything you need to know, but be wary of spoilers ahead.
Gordy the Monkey explained
Gordy is pretty much the first thing we see in Nope and it’s immediately clear from the sounds of shrieks and screams – not to mention the fact he is covered with blood – that something has gone badly wrong.
We don’t learn quite what his significance is, however, until slightly later on, when OJ and Em come face to face with Jupe, who runs a tacky Western-themed amusement park near their ranch.
It turns out that Gordy was the star of a popular family sitcom titled Gordy’s Home, which Jupe had starred in as a child, and one day the chimp had suddenly gone wild – attacking most of the cast and crew and killing several of them in the process.
In fact, Jupe was the only cast member who survived the attack unscathed, and now several years later he is profiting off the story – he keeps a room full of merchandise and memorabilia which he rents out at extortionate rates.
Later – in a truly blood-curdling scene – we see the entire incident play out from Jupe’s perspective, including a moment where it looks like Gordy is going to turn on him as well.
Instead, though, the monkey extends his hand for a fist bump – as the pair had done many times on the show – although he is brutally shot dead before Jupe can do anything.
We also see that in the aftermath Jupe had noticed a single shoe standing on its heel, suggesting he believes there has possibly been some sort of divine intervention saving him from the massacre.
So, beyond being a terrifying scene in its own right, what exactly is the significance of the Gordy the Monkey subplot?
Well, on the one hand it plays into the movie’s key theme of spectacle – not only is Jupe still happy to profit from this traumatic incident but thousands of fans remain intrigued and excited by such a horrifying scene.
And it also helps us understand something about Jupe’s own psyche. Later in the film, when he attempts to exploit the UFO for profit, he presumably thinks he will be free of any negative consequences because he managed to survive the incident with Gordy.
Alas, it’s this hubris that leads to his downfall. In the case of the UFO, or Jean Jacket as it becomes known, the key to survival is to not look at it – and so Jupe is very quickly gobbled up by it when he attempts to create a spectacle out of it for a paying audience.
Nope is now playing in UK cinemas. If you’re looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide or visit our Movies hub for all the latest news.
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