Jordan Peele disagrees with his own fans about being “the best horror director”
The Nope director happily concedes the title to Halloween's John Carpenter
Aux News Unknown
With overwhelmingly positive reviews for Nope rolling in, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Jordan Peele developed an inflated sense of self worth. Add on top of that fawning stans lauding his unprecedented genius, and, well, anybody would gain a healthy ego under those conditions.
But Peele is more than willing to humble himself and his own fans. Take this viral Twitter exchange for instance: On Wednesday, comic book creator Adam Ellis tweeted the certified fresh Rotten Tomatoes scores of the auteur’s films, writing, “I know this is a hot take but at what point do we declare Jordan Peele the best horror director of all time? Can you think of another horror director that had 3 great films, let alone 3 in a row? I can’t.”
This is indeed a hot take—too hot, even, for Peele himself. “Sir, please put the phone down I beg you,” he replies.
It would be more than a little embarrassing for Peele to accept that title when he only has three films so far. Not to mention, any average horror fan could probably rattle off a list of several directors who had three or more great films, if not in a row (Alfred Hitchcock, Wes Craven, Roger Corman, David Cronenberg, Brian De Palma are just a few of the names that popped up in the replies). Peele even had his own candidate, softening the blow of his first tweet with a follow-up reply: “Sorry. I love your enthusiasm but I will just not tolerate any John Carpenter slander!”
Regardless of anyone’s personal feelings toward Peele’s films, he is undoubtedly an era-defining director (horror or otherwise). How high he ranks within the horror canon is a matter of opinion, but also one that likely needs a bit more time and perspective to say with certainty. For Ellis’ part, he later tweeted, “I stand by all my bad opinions.”
Now, a really interesting debate would be whether a list of Rotten Tomatoes scores is an accurate reflection of a director or his films, but are we ready to have that conversation? Mr. Peele, please weigh in!
59 Comments
that pic has me ready for a little gay group session with him and those wacky inflatable arm men.
LOL “3 in a row”. I haven’t seen Nope yet but Us was a monumental leap down from Get Out. He definitely has all the talent and potential to become a great, though.
taking time out of your busy press tour to make a killshot on twitter. gotta love the guy.
He’s Black, which in 2022 I’m pretty sure means he is automatically better at anything he does than any piece of shit old white man. 100% fact that a man with one overblown debut important more for it’s alleged cultural significance than it’s actual substance followed by a largely mediocre confusing mess of a 2nd film and now a new release with zero real critical consensus is obviously the best horror director of all time. Hell, why stop there? He’s the best director ever, period. The only way he could be surpassed is if the next director was Black & non-binary.
you okay there buddy?
Can you please, in the kindest words possible, fuck off?
Why in the fuck would anybody ungrey my comment? Y’all dumber than I thought. Black Panther was also a middling effort.
tbh, you’re right. Get Out was a fantastic debut. Us was thematically interesting and original but with a nonsensical plot. Black Panther was just another mediocre MCU movie that everyone pretended was great cinema because it was Important and Groundbreaking in ways that were totally unrelated to the quality of the film. And I agree that it was a landmark and fantastic positive step for Black representation (cast and crew) in movies. But the overblown praise and the damned Best Picture campaign were laughable. Peak white apologia.
I miss the 90s. We had Blade but didn’t feel the need to pat ourselves on the back in public because he was Black. Say whatever you want, Americans got along better when we “Didn’t see color”.
What a deplorably bad, deeply GenX take. And I say that as a guy born in 77.
Seriously, I have to agree with spermpop and ask why in the hell he was ungreyed. I’m guessing it was 99%sweat that did it, but how? Why?
Us was a deeply GenX movie.
Great – you don’t matter.
Deplorably? Nah, man I voted for Hillary! And it is 100% true. The internet done fucked society all up by giving people an outlet to spew shit anonymously. Present company very much included. Might as well drill some holes in the sinking ship I say!!!
Boomer nonsense.
Fuck your mother bitch.
LMAO boomers are so over emotional
Wow. You sound like a racist.
I’m as excited to see this film as anyone, but calling the reviews “overwhelmingly positive” while linking to a C+ review from this same site two days ago is a strange way to show receipts.
Take a look at the review over at Indie Wire. I wish it had been a bit more comprehensive but they were probably concerned about spoilers.
Yes, I was under the impression Nope has been more poorly received than Get Out and perhaps also Us.
Off the top of my head, directors who have made three great horror films:John Carpenter: Halloween (1978), The Thing (1982), Prince of Darkness (1987) Jacques Tourneur: Cat People (1942), I Walked with a Zombie (1943), The Leopard Man (1943) — back to back, within two years. This is the streak to beat, and it’s probably impossible to work this fast in modern Hollywood.Guillermo Del Toro: Cronos (1993), The Devil’s Backbone (2001), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Cure (1997), Pulse (2001), Retribution (2006)David Cronenberg: Just pick three. It’s all pretty great.Tod Browning: The Unknown (1927), West of Zanzibar (1928, truly deranged), The Devil-Doll (1936) — and, yeah, he made this vampire movie that is more “iconic” (whatever that means) than great. And is Freaks a horror movie? I’d say no.
Tourneur’s best horror movie is probably Curse of the Demon, though I love those B horror movies he made in the 1940s, including Bedlam and Isle of the Dead
Tourneur’s best horror movie is probably Curse of the Demon, though I love those B horror movies he made in the 1940s, including Bedlam and Isle of the DeadI think you’re getting Tourneur mixed up with the producer of his 40s horror movies, Val Lewton. Bedlam and Isle of the Dead were both produced by Lewton and directed by Mark Robson. But if you toss in Robson’s other film for Lewton, The Seventh Victim, then that’s an impressive three in its own right.
Lucky McKee – May, The Woman, The WoodsSam Raimi – Evil Dead 1&2, Drag Me to HellWes Craven – Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes, ScreamGeorge Romero – Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, CreepshowDario Argento – Suspiria, Tenebre, Deep RedMario Bava – Black Sabbath, Black Sunday, Lisa and the DevilTerence Fisher – Most good Hammer moviesI like Peele but holy shit what a dumb, dumb take from Ellis.
I love Raimi but Evil Dead 2 is to much horror comedy I think. Its great but I feel like this contest is pure horror movies.
Ehhhhh… I see your point, but if we’re talking about comparisons to Jordan Peele, ED2 is no more out of line genre-wise than Get Out or Us, both of which contain comedy. I would put the laughing deer head in ED2 up against anything Peele has done for sheer pants-wetting terror. That deer head fucked me up when I was young. That and the mirror scene in Poltergeist. (I would’ve mentioned Hooper but I think he’s pretty uneven outside of TCM1 & 2. And Poltergeist has too much weird rumored confusion around the Hooper/Spielberg stuff)
I love Raimi but Evil Dead 2 is to much horror comedy I think. Its great but I feel like this contest is pure horror movies. I get that, but I feel like the line between horror and dark comedy is often pretty thin. Romero is always operating on the edge of a nervous laugh, especially in Dawn of the Dead, and Nightmare on Elmstreet is like watching a bad stand-up comedian kill people.
But then I probably skipped Joe Dante because things like Piranha and Gremlins are so often angling for laughs instead of screams, even when some of the jokes are about as misanthropic as can be.
These are obviously all big names for horror fans. My three for Mario Bava would probably be Black Sabbath (undeniable), Kill Baby Kill, and The Whip and the Body, but his career has enough killer material (as it were) that the exact picks are pretty flexible. For Romero, I would probably choose Day of the Dead or Martin before Creepshow, but (again) whatever. Not sure I’m put McKee, Fisher, or Craven in the same league, but I love at least one movie for each of them.
Ooh, yeah, Martin for sure. I forgot that was him. I didn’t do Day just because I wanted a non zombie choice. He’s the biggest zombie filmmaker but he’s more than that.I absolutely adore McKee but acknowledge that he’s not on most people’s list. And All Cheerleaders Die is surprisingly bad, both the original and his remake.Craven suffers from having a fair number of clunkers but when you’re that prolific, it’s bound to happen.Fisher, though? For sure same league. An overlooked guy. Which I get, Hammer as a studio and aesthetic kinda overshadows their talent. (I wonder if someone could draw parallels between Hammer and the MCU…)
Fisher, though? For sure same league. An overlooked guy. Which I get, Hammer as a studio and aesthetic kinda overshadows their talent. (I wonder if someone could draw parallels between Hammer and the MCU…)I generally think of him as a talented craftsman, but if I watched three random Hammer movies, I’m not sure I could tell you which ones he’d directed. And that’s what keeps him off my personal list. But, hell, I like Frankenstein Conquers the World as much as the next guy.
You know what? I think you’re probably right. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that in the context of Peele comparisons Fisher IS, as you say, too much a craftsman and not enough of a distinct individual director. The movies themselves make the grade (Peele’s movies have thus far been too preoccupied with theme over story for my tastes) but yeah, that’s not necessarily down to Fisher.
You know what? I think you’re probably right. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that in the context of Peele comparisons Fisher IS, as you say, too much a craftsman and not enough of a distinct individual director. The movies themselves make the grade (Peele’s movies have thus far been too preoccupied with theme over story for my tastes) but yeah, that’s not necessarily down to Fisher.I think you’re right that Us makes a clear choice between showing us memorable satirical images and creating a coherent fictional world. I don’t mind that choice, but it made the movie feel more detached and less visceral than Get Out, where I thought the scenario and the social commentary meshed pretty seamlessly.And the cinema needs guys like Fisher who can knock out these well-made movies that nail the house style and make the most of genre stars like Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The closest people in the Disney orbit are probably Abrams and Favreau. I couldn’t tell you what their stylistic signatures are beyond “haha lens flare” and “slick digital integration,” but their work is generally pretty watchable, albeit not in a way that sings to my heart like vintage Hammer.Over in the Universal camp, James Whale stands out on his own, especially in Bride of Frankenstein, while Karl Freund (a great cinematographer) and George Waggner seem less distinctive. And I love Tod Browning’s perverse crazy ass, but his Dracula is a little stiff in ways that don’t feel on purpose.
No Hitchcock?
It’s a dumb distinction but I wouldn’t have thought about Hitchcock because he does “suspense”. But I totally agree. Hitch for sure.
No Hitchcock?Psycho and The Birds are the only Hitchcock films that I’d shelve under horror, although there’s a strong gothic element in some of his psychological thrillers like Rebecca or Shadow of a Doubt. So, I suppose it depends on how far you want to stretch the genre. Does anything with sustained suspense timing count? Does anything with murder and the trappings of gothic romance count?
Valid point…I guess he just looms so large for Psycho and The Birds that I assumed there must be a third one out there!But Vertigo probably doesn’t count, nor does Rear Window, though those were the ones that immediately jumped to mind for me.
Valid point…I guess he just looms so large for Psycho and The Birds that I assumed there must be a third one out there!But Vertigo probably doesn’t count, nor does Rear Window, though those were the ones that immediately jumped to mind for me.Yeah, Vertigo is another one that shares some plot DNA with gothic romances but places that material in an utterly modern setting, where the supernatural is just a psychological trick, not a real force. I wouldn’t object to someone putting Hitchcock on their Best Horror Directors list, just because his suspense sequences have had such sweeping influence on horror directors, but my kneejerk response to most of his work is “that’s a thriller; not a horror movie.”
Frenzy is a fun Hitchcock movie that defies genre almost entirely. There’s aspects of thriller, mystery, horror, and (dark) comedy.I’d also say Rear Window could easily be classified as a horror movie.
Frenzy is a fun Hitchcock movie that defies genre almost entirely. There’s aspects of thriller, mystery, horror, and (dark) comedy.I’d also say Rear Window could easily be classified as a horror movie.Again, I don’t think “horror” would be my first association for either of these films. They include suspense and pathology, but they are distinct from the horror movies being released around the same time. So, again, I think it’s a matter of how flexible you want the genre to be, and especially whether you’re willing to be anachronistic about what counts as a horror movie. Even the phrasing here, “could easily be classified,” registers some hesitation. Of course it could be, but no one is leaping to do it.
I will totally admit to feeling that genre boundaries should be loose. I think Rear Window is absolutely worth being classified as horror, but also as a thriller. I think those two genres bleed into one another a lot, honestly. Using suspense to create a sense of terror and dread is pervasive and both. At this point, we’re admittedly splitting hairs. But my personal perspective is that any useful definition of horror movies includes Rear Window.
“Unprecedented genius”? Come on…Get Out was an expertly-crafted thriller. Us was…not. And most of the review snippets I’ve read for Nope take on a very “oh it’s great despite the things that aren’t” vibe.
Lets not forget how uneven his Twilight Zone reboot is. Outright bad more often than it’s great. Also was clearly very involved in the similarly mixed bag Candyman sequel, or at least his name was over it more than the actual director.
I wasn’t even focusing on programs he has produced. All I can say on that front is that Hunters and Lovecraft Country had me excited and eager and ended with me disappointed. And yes, I know, it’s all subjective…
Agreed. Both series are uneven, which is a shame as the highs are very high.
It struck me as odd that the 2021 Candyman was directed by a woman about a man while OG was directed by a man about a woman. I did ultimately like the new one but it’s hard to live up to that first movie.
In a strange twist of irony, Jordan Peele fans cancel Jordan Peele and call for a boycott his films because he disagrees with them about Jordan Peele being the best director of horror films.
I agree with Peele he is great but anyone who can make Halloween and then the Thing, two movies that change the horror world back to back is on another level!I can’t wait for Nope tonight!
Its still seem so insane that “The Thing” was pretty much hated by critics at the time and did mediocre at the box office. Its my favorite Carpenter film and probably one of my favorite horror movies ever. I guess at the time the center stage thing was the creature effects and gore but what that movie does so really well is the suspense and the paranoia. Its just such a great movie
If I had to rank my favorite horror movies I’m sure it would be a top 5 all-time horror movie for me. Nothing like watching in on ABC Sunday Night movie of the week in the 80s!When you read some of those reviews from when it came out, it’s something else! Like what movie did these people see that they gave it such harsh reviews!
i watched it for the first time last halloween and it’s just…insane. arguably a perfect movie.
Anyone saying this is a complete fool whose opinions on film shouldn’t be taken seriously. I’m glad he has the self-awareness to agree. The horror elements are easily the weakest parts of the two films I’ve seen of his.Like, look at the level of discourse we’re at. You can grab a screenshot of three Rotten Tomatoes scores and use it to level an argument so popular it gets a response from one of the busiest working directors. Wherever we’re headed, it’s nowhere good.
Jordan Peele is not an especially great horror director. He has a good eye for the visual and his topicality has probably made him a darling of the hashtag cinematic slacktivist … but he has made one good thriller. That’s it. A little perspective could go a long way.
Ellis can’t be much of a horror fan to post such nonsense.
List I hate to say anything negative about Peele, and I really think he is a terrific director, but not all of his movies have been great. I really enjoyed “Get Out” however, “Us” was not great.
who is the best? SOMEONE HAS TO BE THE BEST!! Humility is a rare attitude these days.
That’s cool, Jordan Peele. I also disagree with random dorks on Twitter who are wrong about everything.
There are some great contemporary horror directors these days. Besides Peele, you’ve got Robert Eggers (The VVitch, The Lighthouse), Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation), Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Hush, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep), Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommer), Leigh Janiak (Fear Street trilogy), Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), Karyn Kusama (The Invitation, Jennifer’s Body), Mimi Cave (Fresh), Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night), and James Wan (Saw franchise, Conjuring franchise, Malignant, Insidious franchise). It’s a good time to be a horror fan.
Saw it yesterday afternoon in IMAX. It was good. Great? Don’t know yet. The visual and audio effects, especially the explosive sound of IMAX, the floor beneath me was thrillingly rumbling, were impressive. Did that stand out for me more than the story on the screen? Maybe, maybe not but it’s something to think about. There’s a lot of ideas going on in this film. I thought there were some scenes that were drawn out a little too long and some of the character motivation was muddled or unclear. My interest however, was held throughout, with compelling visuals and a back story that is part of the “spectacle” theme (Peele himself in interviews has mentioned the “spectacle” motif). But there’s more going on than that and I guess I’m not quite sure if the execution of that back story coheres with the main narrative of the alien “invasion” so that all these ideas are comprehensible. I think this is one I have to think about and perhaps watch a second time. It’s at least good enough to do that.