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The inevitable ‘Jordan Peele is overrated’ debate opens a can of online worms

He's been named the "horror Jesus" of the 21st century, but some moviegoers politely disagree.

The World Premiere Of Universal Pictures' "NOPE" - Arrivals
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It was to be expected that after the release of Jordan Peele‘s latest mind-bending thriller, Nope, there would be plenty of discourse surrounding the successful filmmaker’s merit and how much he deserves to be called “the new Stephen King of horror” and “horror Jesus.” Also expected, Nope has been conquering the box office since its release on July 22. With that in mind, why is Peele’s excellence being questioned and Get Out receiving so much flak, despite grossing north of $255 million globally and propelling Peele into the spotlight?

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On Reddit, a strong debate has dragged Jordan Peele — and his directorial debut in Get Out — through the dirt. In the post, the interracial thriller is described as ” incredibly overhyped,” as well as the man who helmed its production.

There’s a lot to unpack here, but the general gist is that u/KcDiNi feels Get Out was hyped so much that it produced a counteractive effect on those who sought to watch it and form their own opinions. Essentially, moviegoers wanted to soak in Peele’s work and judge it for themselves, but the overbearing hype ruined that first-time viewing opportunity. Admittedly, Get Out was heavily marketed to be groundbreaking, which might have harmed its campaign more than promoted it, considering some viewers — as we’ve proven with this Reddit thread — ultimately left the theaters disappointed.

Additionally, u/KcDiNi boldly claims that Peele’s Get Out hardly measures up to some of the greatest horror flicks of all time, presumably referring to genre-defining films and cult-classics like Halloween, Saw, The Conjuring, etc.

“I love Jordan Peele as a comedian, and his directing is honestly impressive, but there is no way in hell Get Out can be considered even close to one of the greats in the horror genre.”

Needless to say, Peele‘s Get Out, Us and now Nope are all critically acclaimed and thought-provoking in their own right, but when compared with John Carpenter’s babysitter bloodbath or Tobe Hooper’s Texas massacre, they just don’t make the cut. Regardless, Jordan Peele is, was, and always will be, one of the greatest creative minds of the 21st century and beyond. Even if you aren’t exactly fond of Peele as a person, for one reason or another, you still have to admit he has a stellar reputation as a filmmaker par excellence.

Peele’s latest endeavor, Nope, is currently showing in theaters.