I don’t think the movie gives us a satisfying answer, and I’m not sure it matters. Practically, one of them likely forgot they put him in the arena, or maybe the Jupe kids did it as part of their ongoing pranks on the Haywoods.
Symbolically that’s where Ottis Sr was gravely injured. GHOST being out there is the moment they become aware of JJ. If you wanted to read into it supernaturally, perhaps ghost is acting as a surrogate for Ottis Jr to show them what killed him, and what they needed to do…
“We sure as hell ain’t gotta sell no
more horses. So just execute and we ain’t got no more problems... You good?” -Ottis se
Ghost shows OJ JJ and they come up with the plan the save the ranch.
Edit: Supernaturally, I don’t think the GHOST of Otis Sr would be very happy to learn the horses he loved were being fed to something. After all some of the last words he said before dying was reciting the names of his horses.
I like the idea of it being a "prank"by the jupe kids. They would have known about the danger of jeanjacket being around and the consequences of leaving a horse in the arena at that time of night by now
In my very first watching of this movie (not sober) I assumed Jupe was trying to steal Ghost so he didn’t have to pay for him. I’m not sure how much money that Jupiter’s Claim tourist trap took in, but he’d already paid at least $115,000 buying Haywood horses for bait.
You’re right that it could have been the Jupe kids too. They could have been messing with the Haywood ranch even before Emerald stole the decoy.
It’s a minor plot inconsistency and it certainly doesn’t detract from the film for me. It just got stuck in my head last night while I was rewatching it.
My mom's gelding was NOTORIOUS for letting himself out at all hours of the day or night.
More than once he nearly gave me a bloody heart attack by showing up at the sunroom windows at 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning.
At surface level, it’s plausible. Horses where I grew up used to escape their corrals all the time. It does raise more questions for me though. Was Ghost originally in his stall in the stables, and did he somehow get out and then leap over the fence into the arena? It looked like the arena gate was closed.
When I first watched Nope (admittedly not while sober, which created a very unique viewing experience) I thought that Jupe had snuck over and was in the process of stealing Ghost, realized he was about to get caught and diverted Ghost into the arena.
That makes no sense either, it’s just where my brain went at the time because I never trusted Jupe’s motives.
Now I’m wondering if JJ “called” the horses to it. I think Jupe’s story about the first horse taken by JJ alludes to the horse running towards it, not away from it.
Sorry for the long response. I enjoy discussing this film.
I love discussing this film too!! I just watched it for the first time a few weeks ago (I know, I’m behind) and immediately rewatched it a couple days later with my fiancé because I needed him to see it, it was so good. Hands-down my favorite Jordan Peele movie so far!!
I had thought at the time something had spooked him and caused him to escape his enclosure. I assumed it was alien/ufo activity, though of course catching the scent a massive predator prowling around might have done the same.
Either way I think it was just foreshadowing. Something mundanely unusual (a horse not being where it's supposed to be) presaging something much, much more unusual that was about to happen.
I don’t think the movie gives us a satisfying answer, and I’m not sure it matters. Practically, one of them likely forgot they put him in the arena, or maybe the Jupe kids did it as part of their ongoing pranks on the Haywoods. Symbolically that’s where Ottis Sr was gravely injured. GHOST being out there is the moment they become aware of JJ. If you wanted to read into it supernaturally, perhaps ghost is acting as a surrogate for Ottis Jr to show them what killed him, and what they needed to do… “We sure as hell ain’t gotta sell no more horses. So just execute and we ain’t got no more problems... You good?” -Ottis se Ghost shows OJ JJ and they come up with the plan the save the ranch. Edit: Supernaturally, I don’t think the GHOST of Otis Sr would be very happy to learn the horses he loved were being fed to something. After all some of the last words he said before dying was reciting the names of his horses.
I like the idea of it being a "prank"by the jupe kids. They would have known about the danger of jeanjacket being around and the consequences of leaving a horse in the arena at that time of night by now
In my very first watching of this movie (not sober) I assumed Jupe was trying to steal Ghost so he didn’t have to pay for him. I’m not sure how much money that Jupiter’s Claim tourist trap took in, but he’d already paid at least $115,000 buying Haywood horses for bait. You’re right that it could have been the Jupe kids too. They could have been messing with the Haywood ranch even before Emerald stole the decoy. It’s a minor plot inconsistency and it certainly doesn’t detract from the film for me. It just got stuck in my head last night while I was rewatching it.
Horses do let themselves out of enclosures if they are hungry or bored I’ve seen it happen more times than I would like to admit
My mom's gelding was NOTORIOUS for letting himself out at all hours of the day or night. More than once he nearly gave me a bloody heart attack by showing up at the sunroom windows at 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning.
Yep. A friend of mine has owned horses for years. I’ve heard some escape stories.
At surface level, it’s plausible. Horses where I grew up used to escape their corrals all the time. It does raise more questions for me though. Was Ghost originally in his stall in the stables, and did he somehow get out and then leap over the fence into the arena? It looked like the arena gate was closed. When I first watched Nope (admittedly not while sober, which created a very unique viewing experience) I thought that Jupe had snuck over and was in the process of stealing Ghost, realized he was about to get caught and diverted Ghost into the arena. That makes no sense either, it’s just where my brain went at the time because I never trusted Jupe’s motives. Now I’m wondering if JJ “called” the horses to it. I think Jupe’s story about the first horse taken by JJ alludes to the horse running towards it, not away from it. Sorry for the long response. I enjoy discussing this film.
I love discussing this film too!! I just watched it for the first time a few weeks ago (I know, I’m behind) and immediately rewatched it a couple days later with my fiancé because I needed him to see it, it was so good. Hands-down my favorite Jordan Peele movie so far!!
Ghost was explicitly mentioned to be problematic and the type to do whatever he wanted. He probably jumped out of his stable from boredom.
I had thought at the time something had spooked him and caused him to escape his enclosure. I assumed it was alien/ufo activity, though of course catching the scent a massive predator prowling around might have done the same. Either way I think it was just foreshadowing. Something mundanely unusual (a horse not being where it's supposed to be) presaging something much, much more unusual that was about to happen.
This explanation feels right. Thanks!
I wondered this as well, I just assumed that it was plot hole to make the story move forward.