One of the big discussions around the movie Nope is the ultimate form of the UFO. Many have suggested that it looks like a biblically-accurate angel, but what does that mean? Many of us are used to the images of cherubs and friendly winged humans, so why would people say the UFO looks like an angel? We’ll discuss what they mean below.
Is the UFO in Nope based on biblically-accurate angels?
Our research hasn’t found any angel on which the UFO in Nope would be based. Christian angelology names nine classes of angels, and the UFO doesn’t match any of them. Instead, its ultimate form resembles a jellyfish, squid, or octopus.
However, there are angels that remind us of the UFO from Nope. The anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion has extraterrestrial lifeforms dubbed “Angels” attacking earth. A few of them show the same geometric patterns that the UFO does, but none of them is a perfect match, but it’s not hard to see the inspiration. Jordan Peele quoted Evangelion as the principal inspiration for the film and the monster within.
Peele is a well-known anime fan, so it’s no surprise that he was inspired by one of the most popular anime ever. However, despite the design not having much to do with the biblical description of angels, there might still be a connection. The verse from Nahum that prefaces the film shows Peele was obviously thinking of the bible. If you think about the way the UFO feeds and the concept of people ascending to heaven, it’s not hard to connect the dots. Jean Jacket might have been with humanity for a long time, and an attack from one of the creatures could have been misinterpreted as something from the divine.
So there you have it. The inspiration behind the UFO from Nope is an angel, just not the biblical sort.
