Editor's Note: The following article contains spoilers for Nope.Jordan Peele’s newest genre film, Nope, opens with the only really gruesome scene in the movie: Otis Senior gets killed. Played by Keith David, he is out riding horses with his son Otis Junior, aka OJ, (Daniel Kaluuya) when he is suddenly struck by illness or injury. This seemed to have confused some people (looking at you, Logan Paul), so we have created this explainer just to clear up any confusion.

As Nope opens, Otis and OJ are working with their horses when a rain of small, metal objects begins to fall from the sky. Something hits Otis, causing him to bleed and list to the side, mumbling incoherently. OJ rushes his father to the hospital, but they are not there long before Otis dies. We see his mangled face, bloodied and disfigured by whatever fell through it. An X-ray and a small evidence baggie reveal what happened: a nickel dropped from the sky at such high velocity that it embedded itself in Otis’ brain through his eye socket. Otis wasn’t the only victim; the horse he was riding was also hit, by a key. However, that key ended up in the horse’s flank, so it wasn’t life-threatening.

This cascade of small metal objects is a mystery for a good part of the film. Where did they come from? Why were they falling from the sky?

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Image via Universal Pictures

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We soon learn that the UFO that hovers above the Haywood ranch is not exactly a spaceship, but an alien creature itself – no aircraft necessary. Nicknamed Jean Jacket by OJ and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer), after one of their horses, Jean Jacket sucks up and eats human beings. It does this from the sky, just inhaling whatever it can: clothing, wallets, keys, and all. Clearly, it cannot digest metal, for later on, after Jean Jacket inhales Ricky “Jupe” Park (Steven Yeun) and the people at the Jupiter’s Claim amusement park, Jean Jacket “vomits” what it cannot digest, all over the Haywood ranch. This includes keys, shoes, cell phones, coins, and interestingly enough, blood.

So, in other words, Jean Jacket's delicate gastrointestinal system is what causes Keith David's character to die.