Press play when you start the movie. These notes follow along, minute by minute. Questions to think about are at the end.
Jordan Peele said he wanted to flip the idea of "the perfect white neighborhood" into a place of danger.
Source · IMDb triviaIt's a 1939 British song by the duo Flanagan and Allen. During World War II they changed the words to "Run, Adolf, run" to make fun of the Nazis.
Source · IMDb triviaComposer Michael Abels said the voices are meant to be the spirits of enslaved and lynched Black people warning Chris to run. The one English word is "brother."
Source · IMDb triviaIn his 1983 stand-up special Delirious, Murphy asked why white families in horror movies don't just leave when a ghost tells them to "get out." Peele has said that bit helped inspire the film.
Source · IMDb triviaIts lyrics tell the listener to stay woke. Woke, by definition, was a word used in Black culture to stay aware of the dangers of racism and white supremacy.
Source · IMDb triviaHe ad-libbed much of his part, which is why Rod's calls feel so loose and real.
Source · IMDb triviaThis is both a classic mark of a white liberal, and ironic to hear in a time when people say they would vote for Trump for a third term.
Source · IMDb triviaHe gave notes to the cast as Tracy Morgan, Forest Whitaker and Barack Obama.
Source · IMDb triviaHe said someone running toward you creates a physical reaction in the audience, and pointed to North by Northwest as an example.
Source · IMDb triviaA silver spoon is a common symbol of being born into privilege.
Source · IMDb triviaJordan Peele said Kaluuya did about five takes of the scene where his character needs to cry. Each was so perfect that the single tear came down at the exact same time in each one.
Source · IMDb triviaHe said, "The Sunken Place means we're marginalized. No matter how hard we scream, the system silences us."
Source · IMDb triviaThey comment on his strength, his genes and his looks. The film draws a line from slavery to how Black bodies are still treated, and foreshadows their intentions revealed later in the film.
He has said TSA agents constantly recognize him since the film came out.
Source · IMDb triviaPeele found one of his orchestra pieces on YouTube and decided he could "terrorize some people" with his music.
Source · IMDb triviaPeele couldn't find an older Japanese actor near Mobile, Alabama, where they filmed. Yasuhiko Oyama runs a karate school in Birmingham.
Source · IMDb triviaThis scene echoes the slave auctions of the past.
Source · IMDb triviaIt's the slogan of the United Negro College Fund, which helps Black students afford college. Here it has a darker double meaning: the Armitages preserve their clients' minds in young, capable bodies, so they aren't "wasted."
Source · IMDb triviaPeele first planned for Chris to be forced to listen to James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend" over and over. The film's budget couldn't cover the rights to the song.
Source · IMDb triviaFans came up with theories about why she keeps them apart. Jordan Peele said there is no hidden code, and Allison Williams said the scene was added while they were already filming in Alabama.
Source · Business InsiderHe plugs his ears with stuffing from the leather chair. Most chairs are stuffed with polyester today, but Jordan Peele confirmed they made the chair with cotton to keep the symbolism.
Source · IMDb triviaThe tone and sentiment of the ending were changed to be more upbeat in light of the racial violence Black America was experiencing at that time.
Source · IMDb triviaHe was the first Black writer to win that award. The film cost $4.5 million and made more than $250 million.
Source · IMDb triviaHe paid for whole showings at Chicago-area theaters and told fans to just bring an ID.
Source · IMDb triviaQuestions to think about on your own, or to talk through with whoever you watched with.
Rose's family says all the right things about race. How can you tell when someone means it?
Chris feels pulled into the Sunken Place when he can't speak up. Where in your life do you feel unheard?
The original ending had Chris arrested. Which ending feels more true to you, and why?
Times are matched to the film's subtitles, so they may be off by a minute on some versions. Each note links to its source. Still images will come from the studio's press materials.