The Black Student Association’s first Film Night was hosted in collaboration with the Fort Worth Film Club in the McFadden Science Center’s Science Lecture Theatre. [Graphic courtesy Nijah Akpan]

Black History Month celebrates the arts, culture and history of the Black community. It is a celebratory reflection of the past, the present and the future.  

In discussions about great films and specifically what makes a great Black film, opinions are endless. The Black Student Association (BSA) at Texas Wesleyan University and Fort Worth Film Club ensured that the surprise movie they presented at their Feb. 18 Film Night was a film that led with resilience, not struggle. 

Fort Worth Film Club presented “Nope”, a science fiction horror film written, produced and directed by Jordan Peele, at BSA’s first Film Night.  

This surprise film choice is a slight deviation from the perception of what may define a Black film.   

“Nope” is far from typical; this is a film that has few equals. The film platforms black filmmaking on a non-traditional stage. Science fiction and psychological thrillers are rare in Black film history, but “Nope” works to be a strong addition. 

The film is set in California with a series of flashbacks that go from 1998 to present day. As soon as the story begins, the audience is almost immediately thrown into a flashback of doom on a sitcom set involving the main characters’ neighbor, Ricky “Jupe” Park. There’s no further explanation for this situation until later in the film, but it works to connect all the characters’ paths. After this startling opening scene, the viewer is introduced to the two main characters, siblings OJ Haywood and Emerald Haywood. 

The Haywood siblings are starkly different from one another. OJ is calm and reserved, while Emerald is clearly extroverted and outspoken. The two inherit their father’s ranch, which OJ mainly looks after. As he spends much of his time outside, he begins to experience strange instances. The power randomly cuts out, their horses start to act strange, and for some reason, there is one big, non-moving cloud. With the help of a new friend who has a fascination with ancient aliens, the Haywood siblings fight to overcome whatever it is terrorizing their off-the grid ranch.  

The production that works to translate the scenery of this film is unforgettable. The story transpires against the background of mountains; it’s aesthetic and picturesque. But the vastness of the remote setting and the hues of brown and grey that decorate the fictional town create a sense of uneasiness that looms throughout the entire film.  

Although “Nope” may not initially be suggested as a classic Black film, the dynamics and archetypes can be contextual evidence that it just may be. OJ and Emerald and their unresolved childhood resentment, the physical work of upkeeping their ranch and the pair’s goals of excelling, tell a two-hour story of pure strength. In its own way, this is a classic story, a peculiar story and a memorable story. It is a Black story, an original of its kind.  

In the context of watching this film during Black History Month, the question remains whether “Nope” will earn a place on the younger generation’s classic Black film list.