‘Nope’ Fan Theory Explained Jean Jacket as an H.P. Lovecraft ‘Deep Cut’
Nope gives the name Jean Jacket to the monster in the sky. Jordan Peele’s third horror movie doesn’t give many answers, but it certainly comes with its share of references. Many audiences pointed to connections between Nope and Steven Spielberg’s movies, such as Jaws and Encounters of the Third Kind. However, a Nope fan theory connects Jean Jacket to an H.P. Lovecraft “deep cut.”
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Nope.]
‘Nope’ Jean Jacket is the monster in the sky
Peele’s third horror outing finds something truly otherworldly happening in the sky. The film stars Daniel Kaluyya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun, telling the story of strange occurrences around a remote town. However, they become increasingly convinced that extraterrestrials have to do with all of the unexplainable things occurring in the sky.
It’s ultimately revealed that the non-moving cloud in the sky is actually a disguise for a terrifying monster. Nope introduces it as Jean Jacket, which is named after Emerald’s horse that she had as a child that her father sold. The monster is unrelenting as it chases Emerald and her brother, OJ, in the film’s climax.
‘Nope’ fan theory points to H.P. Lovecraft ‘deep cut’ with Flying Polyp connection
A Reddit fan theory (further expanded upon via Ruthless Reviews) connects Jean Jacket from Nope to a Lovecraftian monster race called Flying Polyps, which first appeared in “The Shadow Out of Time,” which published in 1936. They’re creatures from outer space and are described as aggressive and predatory, but this theory points to their many similarities to Jean Jacket:
They are flying monsters that can become invisible whenever they want.
They are capable of manipulating wind and weather.
They exist only in the loneliest most uninhabited parts of the world, be it the Australian outback or the Mojave desert).
They can be noticed by the horrible whistling and screaming sounds they make as they pass by.
They are fluid in form and able to change and distort in shape and size
They attack people by using vortices of wind either to suck people into the sky or to blast them and send them tumbling.
They really, really hate to be noticed and become violently aggressive towards anyone that perceives them.
They appear to function with some degree of non-Euclidean geometry.
The theory praised Peele for his adaptation of a Lovecraftian monster with Jean Jacket in Nope. It explained how he successfully brought the monster to life without slime and tentacles. Peele hasn’t publicly revealed if this was his intention, but it’s clear that many of his fans are loving it. He executive produced Lovecraft Country, so he does have a connection to it.
Jean Jacket is symbolism
Nope fans speculated the symbolism behind Peele’s inclusion of Jean Jacket. The most obvious one is that the monster represents the Hollywood machine itself. It stands for the physical system itself, as well as the spectacle that audiences can’t seem to look away from.
Many Hollywood stories involve hopeful artists gaining hope and fame, only to be spat out and left with nothing. The lead characters are encountering a new age with CGI destroying their family business of raising horses for entertainment. Much like the Lovecraftian Jean Jacket, Nope depicts the horrifying way that Hollywood can destroy lives.
