Trivia: Although Malcolm McDowell and Pierce Brosnan play father and son in this film, McDowell (born 1943) is only ten years older than Brosnan (born 1953).
Trivia: The film was released in November 2014, almost three months after Robin Williams' (7/21/51 - 8/11/14) death.
Trivia: Stay for the outtakes after the film.
Trivia: The original black Jaguar XJ6 Series III car, as used in the TV series of the same name, makes a cameo appearance in the background of the scene where McCall tortures the corrupt cop.
Trivia: When Ben gets shot during the video game he is playing, he lets out a Wilhelm scream.
Trivia: When the mayor is giving his presentation about the plans for new development, one of the men is fiddling with a tiny black model car. He causes it to pop a wheelie and cruise down the model street; just like the black Dodge Charger Vin Diesel popped a wheelie in during his climactic race with Paul Walker, who also stars in this movie, in The Fast and the Furious.
Trivia: Katie Holmes plays Brenton Thwaites' mother in the film, even though in real life she's only 10 years his senior.
Trivia: Mall security guard George tells Zack and Donny that he is not a jerk - he is a "Mastermind." Grumpy Cat thinks, "Oh no, yeah, you're a limp short of being Keyser Soze." Keyser Soze refers to the main antagonist (played by Kevin Spacey) in "The Usual Suspects" (1995). (01:01:10)
Trivia: Greta handed Clinton (in bed) a mug and after he took a sip, Clinton asked, "What is this - just boiled whiskey?" Greta smiled and replied, "Yeah, pretty much." Greta most likely made Clinton a "Hot Toddy", which is a beverage typically comprised of whiskey (or brandy or rum), hot water, lemon juice, and honey. Hot toddy is used to help alleviate the symptoms of a cold/flu or served as a nightcap to help facilitate sleep (although it may actually interfere with getting quality sleep). (00:51:30)
Trivia: After posting Obama signs in yards, Mason Sr got into his car and told Mason and Samantha, "Look, I'm a patriot, all right?" He drives away but the camera stays fixed on the now-visible Jeep parked on the opposite side of the street. This appears to be showing another kind of "Patriot" [Jeep Patriot], but it is actually a Liberty. (01:02:59)
Trivia: Originally intended for theatrical release, this film ultimately had to be released through streaming after the North Korean government threatened to retaliate against the United States. A cyber crimes group allegedly tied to North Korea also hacked Sony's emails and made threats against theaters that had planned to show the film.
Trivia: Part of the inspiration for the film came from a friend of writer/director Jennifer Kent. Her friend, a single mother, had a young son who like many children was terrified of non-existent "monsters" he thought were lurking in his home. Kent then had the idea to turn this into a film. What if a child was terrified of monsters lurking in their closet, under their beds, etc... except they were real?
Trivia: Funded mainly through the use of online crowd-funding.