Everyone understands the moral of movies after watching them but with the advent of conspiracy theories, one might wonder if there was something more to it in the mere film. It is interesting to see how various propaganda, subliminal messages, hidden motives, and unique twists have become a part of even the most popular movies. The following list chronicles a few of the many interesting movie conspiracy theories out there:
15. Inception is Actually About Filmmaking
Apart from Christopher Nolan’s Inception being about stealing valuable information from a victim’s mind, it really is about the art of filmmaking. Every member of the “Dream Team” perfectly represents the vital positions of the people on a movie set.
If you observe carefully, Dom Cobb is the director, Eames is the leading actor, Arthur is the producer, Ariadne is the screenwriter, Saito is the studio executive, Yusuf is behind special effects, Fischer is the audience and the whole dream in the movie.
14. James Bond is Just a Codename
From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, the world’s most famous spy James Bond has been played by seven different actors. An average fan might assume that it is the same character being played by different actors. However, due to differences in the versions’ personality traits and timelines, James Bond might be just a codename being passed on from one spy to another.
Think about it. It is not wise for a spy to reveal his name to his arch-enemies. That gives them the opportunity to learn about his background and other connections. The assumption that “James Bond – 007” is actually a codename really makes more sense.
13. Willy Wonka is a Metaphor For Grim Reaper
Who would have ever guessed that the beloved Chocolatier is none other than the Grim Reaper himself? A conspiracy theory revolves around Willie Wonka as the personification of death and his factory is a metaphor for Hell.
Since the children cannot resist “Satan’s temptations”, they remain in hell one by one until Charlie is the only one remaining. Furthermore, the four children represent the seven deadly sins with Augustus showing greed and gluttony, Violet showing pride and lust, Veruca showing Envy and Mike showing Wrath and Sloth.
12. Stan Lee is Uatu The Watcher
Stan Lee is the Vince McMahon of comic books. He is extremely creative and is responsible for creating several iconic comic book characters such as Spiderman, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor, X-Men, Fantastic Four, etc. For the fun of watching his creations onscreen close and personally, Lee has been in almost every Marvel movie for a cameo.
While it has seemed that he has been portraying different minor characters in every movie, some have concluded that Lee is actually portraying the human form of Uatu the Watcher – also one of his creations – in all of his movies.
11. Robocop is a Metaphor For Jesus Christ
He served humanity. He was wrongfully killed. He was resurrected and walked on the Earth again. If you think that this story only belongs to Jesus Christ then you are mistaken as RoboCop also shares the same tale. Believe it or not, RoboCop is more of a modern retelling of Jesus Christ.
Cop Alex Murphy’s arms were wide open as he lay on the floor at the mercy of criminals as they shot his arm and his head; an allegory of crucifixion, nail to the wrist, and crown of thorns, respectively. Murphy is then resurrected as a cyborg. Moreover, RoboCop – like Jesus – walks on water during the movie’s final battle.
10. All Quentin Tarantino’s Movies Share The Same Universe
Called a promoter of gun violence by some and a filmmaking genius by many, Quentin Tarantino is one of the greatest directors alive today. Known for creating eccentric movie characters, it has been frequently suggested that all of them coexist in the same universe.
For example, Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction and Vic Vega from Reservoir Dogs are brothers. Lee Donowitz from True Romance is the son of the Inglorious Basterds character Donny Donowitz. Most notably, Earl and Edgar McGraw are in the movies Kill Bill, Death Proof, and From Dusk Till Dawn.
9. The main Fight Club Characters Are Grownup Calvin And Hobbes
Fight Club quickly gained a cult following upon its release due to the exceptional roles played by Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. Some have believed it to be a sick, twisted, and adult version of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. The comic was about a young boy Calvin having an imaginary tiger named Hobbes as a friend to make his life more interesting.
Observing that idea, it makes sense that the Narrator and Tyler Durden are actually older Calvin and Hobbes. Among the several striking similarities, it is convincing to note that the club founded by Calvin and Hobbes promoted fighting.
8. Snow White is About Cocaine Addiction
When it comes to animated movies, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is considered one of the greatest ever made. A box office success for Disney, it was a classic story of a princess who was welcomed by seven dwarfs in their home.
Strangely enough, it has been suspected that Snow White herself was a metaphor for the cocaine drug and the names of the dwarfs represent the stages of the person who uses it. At first, the user becomes happy and then sneezes. Later on, they get sleepy and feel bashful or depressed. In the end, the user will act dopey and may need to see a doctor.
7. Sam Rami’s Spiderman Trilogy Existed in the DC Universe
A cinematic crossover between Marvel and DC is highly unlikely but director Sam Rami cleverly made it happen as an easter egg in his Spiderman trilogy. When Peter Parker is trying to shoot web, he says, “Shazam” – a nod to the DC Superhero Captain Marvel aka Shazam. Meaning he was aware of his presence.
Furthermore, when Peter worries too much about his responsibilities, Aunt May tells him that he is “not Superman”, meaning she is aware of Man of Steel.
6. The X-Men Trilogy is About Gay Rights
Mutants: a bunch of people trying to fit into society. That is a characteristic they share with homosexuals. As strange as it may sound, X-Men very well represents the struggles encountered by homosexuals as depicted by various plot points in the original trilogy.
For example, Iceman “comes out” to his parents, Rogue becomes aware of the fact that she is a mutant when she kisses a boy for the first time, and Professor X claims that “mutation is not a disease”. Above all, it is interesting to note that Ian McKellen, himself a homosexual, took the role of Magneto because of its gay rights propaganda.
5. The Briefcase in Pulp Fiction Contains Marcellus Wallace’s Soul
Though the mysterious briefcase never showed its contents, there have been several hints that it contained Marcellus Wallace’s soul. When Vincent opens it, he uses code 666 – a number used to signify the Devil – and a glow comes out of it. Moreover, when the very first time Wallace appears, a bandage behind the back of his head is shown; implying the legend that when the Devil extracts someone’s soul, he takes it from the back of their head.
Additionally, when Jules and Vincent are shot when they have the briefcase, the shooter misses every time. This leads to the former strongly believing that God interfered and saved them; hinting at the possibility of God helping them since they were doing a noble deed of saving a soul.
However, director Quentin Tarantino himself states that he does not know what was in it and claims that:
“It’s whatever the viewer wants it to be.”
4. Doc Brown Attempted Suicide And Murder
Dr. Emmett Brown from Back to the Future has always been critical of himself since his inventions never worked. Once he made the DeLorean Time Machine, Doc decides to kill himself and apparently his friend Marty too if it fails to work.
When he tests it for the very first time, out of all the directions to choose from, he races it toward himself and Marty. When the car disappears to the future just seconds away from hitting them, Doc becomes surprised that it actually worked – meaning he planned to die if his machine failed to work.
3. E.T. is a Jedi
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Star Wars are two of the best space-exclusive science fiction movies of all time but what if both of them exist in the same universe? That very well may be true. If you recall, the species of E.T. were seen in the Senate chamber in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a kid dressed up as Yoda, and E.T. instantly recognized him. Furthermore, it can be assumed that he made the bike fly using force. Meaning E.T. is a Jedi.
2. The Joker is a Soldier
The Joker’s true origin is never revealed in The Dark Knight, yet it is constantly brought up by numerous hints throughout the movie. Admit it or not, the Joker was a run-away soldier suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The Joker explains hypocrisy to Harvey Dent that nobody cares if a truckload of soldiers blows up but will feel otherwise if a mayor dies. Out of all the examples he could have given, he chooses that one. Maybe since he was one too.
The Joker very well knows how to use a bazooka, rifle, bombs, and detonators – all weapons of a soldier. In fact, the Joker even paraded at one point in the movie. Possibly a war veteran, the Joker is a runaway soldier having PTSD and decided to combat authority figures who misuse soldiers for their battles.
1. The Shining Explains The Apollo 11 Moon Landing Hoax
For years, several conspiracy theories have pointed out that the Apollo 11 Moon Landing was actually staged in a Hollywood studio. One of them narrates that director Stanley Kubrick helped in the Apollo 11 broadcast and confessed it by several hints in his 1980 Stephen King movie adaption of The Shining.
So why did NASE choose Kubrick? He directed 2001: A Space Odyssey – arguably the best space movie of all time – in 1968, one year before the events of the Apollo 11 moon landing. As far as The Shinning is concerned, it is ridiculously filled with clues about the Apollo 11 hoax.
For example, the room number was 237 (as opposed to 217 in the novel), signifying the distance of 237,000 miles between Earth and the Moon. There is a rocket on Danny’s sweater with “Apollo 11” written on it. Long story short, this conspiracy theory deserves its very own feature film or at least a documentary.
Feel free to share some more interesting movie conspiracy theories in the comments section below!
