2022 Larry Prater Award for Best Viewing
The second ever Larry Prater Award for Best Viewing is award to Jordan Peele's Nope! Some will claim that it was somewhat of an obvious answer and those who make this claim would be right. Nope was, by far and large, the most original and unpredictable story I’ve seen on the silver screen, this year. Halfway between a mid-century science fiction caper and a dense psychological horror flick, it explored new way of dealing with old human fears.
What made Nope stood out among its most excellent crop of peers was its dedication to mature, sophisticated storytelling in the midst of telling what is ostensibly the most classic, American flying saucer story there is. Peele expresses as much in nuances and silence than he does in dialogue and exposition. These patient and deliberate stylistic choices make the audience as much a participant in the storytelling process than any of the film’s characters. Jordan Peele is a true original storyteller.
