Warning: this article contains spoilers for Nope.

jordan peele achieved a critical trifecta earlier this year, with his latest (and arguably best) thriller Nope proving a worthy following of its equally acclaimed successors Salt Y U.S. His realm is divisive, with Peele, the modern master of motifs, tending to juggle his fair share of themes and symbols in his uniquely nightmarish settings, but for those of us looking to sink our teeth into more allegorical pieces, the filmmaker’s arsenal is positively delicious.

In its most literal sense, Nope is about the plight of brothers OJ and Emerald Haywood, the current owners of a horse training ranch inherited by their ancestors, who find themselves in financial trouble trying to keep it afloat. The duo soon discover what appears to be a group of aliens hunting in and around the area with a UFO, and plan to capture a photo of the alien ship, hoping to gain some wealth as a result. Of course, things were not what they seemed and what appeared to be a UFO turned out to be something much more terrifying.

However, in a thematic sense, the film is about humanity’s addiction to spectacle and the dangers that come with not respecting that danger when we cling to achieving and witnessing such spectacle. This was especially evident in the behaviors of the alien, whom the brothers call “Jean Jacket,” and Gordy, a once-loved simian comedy star who went berserk on set, traumatizing a young Ricky “Jupe.” Park (a now grown-up showman). which attempts to exploit the alien with fatal results).

But one user managed to dig a little deeper, laying out on r/FanTheories a reading of the film that nearly subverts what’s most apparent to us with brilliant articulation.

To put it succinctly, the user is suggesting that the alien, originally in the form of an eyeball before revealing its true form, itself represents an audience’s fixation, with the many characters it hunts and feeds on being. together with those who wish to be. in the center of attention, to be a spectacle in themselves. The alien, of course, literally tries to consume many of these characters, depicting how public figures are consumed by the weight of the spectacle they are bearing; a show that the public is crying out for from these figures. Considering what the spotlight ultimately did to the likes of Jupe when he was a child actor, it all adds up to one poignant observation in an imposingly multifaceted film.

For a more detailed explanation from the theoretician himself, read the full post here.