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: 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: 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: Josh Brolin Dwight had been previously portrayed by actor Clive Owen in the first film. As originally planned, Brolin would play the character prior to his plastic surgery, while Owen would reprise his role and play Dwight post plastic-surgery. However, Owen was unavailable to reprise his role, and thus prosthetics were used to attempt to make Brolin's post-surgery look subtly similar to Owen's facial structure.
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: 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?