In Déjà Vu (2006), Denzel Washington leads a high-stakes, mind-bending thriller that fuses time travel with counterterrorism. After a deadly explosion rocks New Orleans, one agent discovers that the key to preventing disaster may lie in the past — and in breaking the laws of time itself.
Think you’ve got the brains to follow the twists, turns, and temporal loops? Test your memory of this underrated sci-fi gem with our 10-question trivia challenge. Only true fans will piece the puzzle together in time!
Déjà Vu Trivia Questions & Answers
Here are the correct answers and detailed explanations for all ten questions from our Déjà Vu (2006) trivia challenge — a film that cleverly blends science fiction with action-thriller tropes and showcases one of Denzel Washington’s most cerebral roles:
1) Who plays the lead role of ATF agent Doug Carlin in Déjà Vu (2006)?
Correct Answer: Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington stars as Doug Carlin, an insightful and determined ATF agent. His grounded performance brings emotional weight to a plot filled with scientific speculation and government technology, making the unbelievable feel surprisingly believable.
2) Which event sets off the investigation in the film?
Correct Answer: A ferry bombing
The story begins with a catastrophic terrorist attack — a ferry explosion in New Orleans that kills over 500 people. This event triggers a large-scale federal investigation and introduces the time-warping technology that drives the plot.
3) What is the name of the woman whose murder helps unravel the case?
Correct Answer: Claire Kuchever
Claire Kuchever, played by Paula Patton, is found murdered shortly after the ferry bombing. Doug realizes her death occurred before the explosion, making her the potential key to discovering — and eventually preventing — the entire attack.
4) What unique surveillance technology is introduced in the film?
Correct Answer: Time window
The government introduces a top-secret experimental system nicknamed “Snow White,” which allows them to view the past — specifically a moving 4-day-and-6-hour window into the past. This creates a real-time view of historical events, opening the door to both surveillance and intervention.
5) How far back in time can the “Snow White” system see?
Correct Answer: 4 days and 6 hours
The system’s viewing window is fixed: it always shows the past exactly 4 days and 6 hours prior. This time limit becomes a crucial constraint, as Doug races against both present events and the clock in the past.
6) Which actor plays the scientist Dr. Alexander Denny?
Correct Answer: Adam Goldberg
Adam Goldberg plays Dr. Alexander Denny, the skeptical and sarcastic physicist behind the Snow White project. His interactions with Doug provide both exposition and comic relief, as science collides with street-smart detective work.
7) What does Doug eventually realize about the Snow White system?
Correct Answer: It can send objects back in time
Though initially thought to be just a passive viewer of the past, Doug discovers the system can also send physical objects — and eventually people — back in time. This revelation changes the course of the investigation and raises the moral stakes of intervention.
8) Who is revealed to be the terrorist responsible for the bombing?
Correct Answer: Carroll Oerstadt
Carroll Oerstadt, played by Jim Caviezel, is the domestic terrorist behind the ferry bombing. Motivated by twisted patriotic ideals and military rejection, he’s a chillingly calm antagonist who serves as a symbol of radical extremism and the danger of obsession.
9) How does Doug travel to the past?
Correct Answer: By entering the Snow White machine
Doug becomes the first human test subject to be sent back using the Snow White system. The journey is both physically risky and psychologically intense, representing the ultimate sacrifice to save lives and change fate.
10) What happens to Doug Carlin at the end of the movie?
Correct Answer: He dies in the past
The Doug Carlin who travels to the past dies while saving Claire and stopping the bombing — a heroic self-sacrifice. However, in a twist of fate, the “present” version of Doug — who was never sent back — meets Claire after the event is prevented, creating an emotional and paradoxical conclusion that lives up to the film’s title.
