Jean Jacket reflects the film’s theme of spectacle. Accordingly, the key to defeating the alien monster ends up being the realization that it only attacks those who look it in the eye. Early in “Nope,” OJ and Emerald are staging a horse for a movie shoot, but the animal goes berserk after a clueless crew member holds a mirror up to the horse’s eyes. Much later, after Jean Jacket eats Jupe and his showgoers at Jupiter’s Claim ranch, it returns to the farmhouse, spraying bloody detritus all over the property. Jean Jacket drives a decoy horse the protagonists tricked it into eating through OJ’s windshield, which reminds OJ of how the horse behaved onset earlier in the movie, causing him to realize that Jean Jacket, like other animals, is threatened by eye contact.
Thinking back to the “Nahum” verse that begins “Nope,” it’s tempting to draw on other Biblical stories where gazing at something heavenly is fatal, especially considering that Jean Jacket’s full design is based on angels. For example, in “Exodus” 33:20, God tells Moses, “A human being may not see Me and live.”
For the characters in “Nope,” the choice is often between looking at the beast or running, though if they run, they cannot properly see what’s chasing them. The climactic sequence involves plenty of inflatable tube men and googly eyes as a method of tricking Jean Jacket into thinking it is being watched, triggering it to attack. But even as Jean Jacket unfolds into its majestic angelic form, OJ and Emerald are careful not to look at it.