In the comments under the previous article, many wrote that they would like to see an analysis of the questions that remained unanswered in the film Under Silver Lake . I dug around on the Reddit forum of the same name and compiled a small list of riddles with an explanation. Just keep in mind that these are all theories of ordinary users, and there is no official evidence that they are right.
Question #1: The Unrevealed Identity of the “Dog Killer”
At the very beginning, we see a glass on which it says “Beware of the dog killer”, but the killer himself is not shown to us in the film. Presumably it is Sam. They don’t talk about it directly, but give hints. Firstly, the hero was bitten by a dog in childhood and now he does not like them. Secondly, in his pocket he always carries a treat for dogs, although he himself does not have one, and food makes a good bait for four-legged friends. Thirdly, Sam has nightmares about dogs, but this is strange, because what should he be afraid of if he does not have his own pet.
Question number 2: Owl kiss, who is she?
On Reddit, people assume it represents suicide or depression. In favor of this theory is the fact that in the film we were shown how the creator of the comics about the mysteries of Silver Lake shot himself. Sam, after all that happened, fell into deep despair. Or the girl in the owl mask may be a representative of the wealthy, killing only those people who got too close to unraveling the conspiracy.
Question #3: Who is a pirate?
The user theories are that he is a pimp who brings chosen girls to rich people, since we know they are going to die, the costume may represent the death that is to come to them. The pirate can also be a symbol of forgiveness. After all, the black pirate flag symbolizes mercy, that is, those who surrender will not be killed, which is quite appropriate in the context of this film, because Sam eventually surrenders and is allowed to live.
Question #4: How do we know the main character’s name is Sam?
Throughout the film, the hero remains a nameless character for us. It is only in the credits that we learn his name. He becomes a simple “philistine” with whom the viewer associates himself. Although it is very difficult to associate yourself with such a person.
Question #5: What was the dark figure chasing Sam in the park?
The ghost shows his paranoid thoughts and fear of the unknown, because he does not know what he has gotten himself into and what secret he will learn by following all the clues. Perhaps he has a mental illness, and everything that happened to him did not really happen.
There are too many questions in the film, I tried to find answers only to the most asked of them in the Reddit community . And now let’s move on to one of the many encrypted messages, which in my opinion seemed the most curious:
1. Copy Cipher
At the bottom of the TV, you can notice the news about the strange graffiti discovered.
This refers to two graffiti that can be seen on the wall and in the toilet, encoded with the Copiale cipher .
The copiale cipher is a strange manuscript found at the end of the 18th century in Berlin. A computer scientist in 2011 created a program to translate this cipher, and he was Kevin Knight (remember that name).
Here is Kevin Knight’s work on the Copiale cipher
2. Coffee menu
If you translate the code in the toilet and on the wall, you get two words: coffee menu. Therefore, it follows that the cipher points us to the coffee menu, located at the beginning of the film in the background.
Morse code flaunts at the bottom of the board, which can be translated as: XJVO OJRY XERSW
This cipher with a key leads us to the house of the comic book author, where these letters appear.
With this key, a slightly strange translation is obtained: what are the three words .
And using another key E = EE (here there is a rearrangement and replacement of letters) on the billboard “Now I see everything clearly”, the same inscription was found as in the writer’s house: what three words .
3. What are three words
What3 wordsis a geocoding system for transmitting location data with a resolution of up to three meters.What3 words encodes geographic coordinates into three dictionary words that refer to three square meters on a world map.
What’s really interesting is that the app’s logo is the hobo code for the “this is not a safe place” symbol present at the end of the movie.
4. Dolls
In Sarah’s room we see three dolls: Betty, Marilyn and Lauren, this is a reference to the movie “How to Marry a Millionaire”, which she is currently watching.
Under their names is a cipher that is the cipher of the Zodiac Killer (a serial killer active in Northern California and San Francisco in the late 1960s. The identity of the perpetrator has not yet been established), which was deciphered by Kevin Knight. Therefore, if you translate it, it turns out: sheriff’s tombstone . What this all means is unclear. But there is a scene in the tape in the cemetery, perhaps the answer is there.
It’s important to say that this is not the first time we’ve met Kevin Knight. Moreover, in the film, he is listed as a cryptographic consultant.
Now back to three words . They can lead to two different locations on the map depending on the order in which the puppets are placed. Both the dolls on the table and those on the TV should be considered.
The following coordinates come out:
- 36 degrees 42 minutes 36 seconds north latitude and 118 degrees 35 minutes 30 seconds west longitude for dolls on the table.
- 25 degrees 52 minutes 21 seconds south latitude and 129 degrees 29 minutes 10 seconds east longitude for screen puppets.
Reddit users are trying hard to understand what these coordinates mean and where they lead. The chain built by them is really impressive in its scale. Maybe soon they will be able to get to the bottom of the truth. If someone is interested in other works of the community, then here is a link to the forum:
For today I think that will be enough. Now you better understand that Under Silver Lake is a very unusual movie, filled with many encrypted messages, which are extremely difficult to unravel, if at all possible. Of course, it is simply impossible to make out absolutely everything in the film, and I hope that you liked the material I prepared and was useful.
Finally a little easter egg
On the official poster, matching the plot, you can find many hidden Easter eggs. For example, if you look closely, you can read the word in the girl’s hairsex, and among the bubbles surrounding her are patterns in the form of a pirate’s head, a girl with a balloon, a guitar and other artifacts from the film.