30 Movie Mistakes So Bad You Won't Believe You Missed Them

Who let the camera crew into the shot?!

Movies go through countless rounds of edits and pass through numerous hands before getting released to the public—and yet, there still seem to be blatant blunders in almost every feature film.

Even if you don't necessarily catch every single discrepancy or glaring error, the mishaps are most certainly there—and once you know what to look for, you'll never be able to unsee them. From camera crews caught on film to timelines that seriously don't add up, here are some serious movie mistakes that you won't believe you didn't notice before. And to bone up on even more movie-making trivia, don't miss the 50 Famous Movie Lines That Were Ad-Libbed.

1
Jurassic Park: The Helping Hand

Jurassic Park mistake
Image via YouTube

Fans of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park likely remember the scene in the film in which giant velociraptors chase Lex and Tim Murphy through the kitchen. However, what most viewers probably didn't pick up on was that as the first dinosaur walks through the kitchen entrance, there is a brief period in which you can see the hand of one of the crew members holding onto the beast to keep it steady. Oops!

2
Spider-Man: The "Broken" Lamp

spiderman lamp mistake
Image via YouTube

In Spider-Man (2002), there is a scene at the beginning of the movie in which Peter Parker is first discovering his powers and, in the process of testing them, accidentally breaks a lamp in his room. However, when his aunt comes in to see what's causing all the noise, the lamp has miraculously fixed itself and is back in its former resting place. Oops!

3
The Shining: The Magic Hedge Maze

the shining mistake
Image via YouTube

Stanley Kubrick's horrifying The Shining takes place at an isolated hotel, the exteriors of which are first seen at the beginning of the film. However, one thing that is noticeably absent in this initial shot is the hedge maze, which later magically shows up right next to the hotel and plays a big role in the film's plot. And if you love horror films like The Shining, then queue up the 40 Best Horror Movies for Totally Freaking Yourself Out.

4
Harry Potter: "You Have Your Mother's Eyes"

Harry Potter movie mistake
Image via YouTube

One of the most memorable moments in the Harry Potter series comes in its final installment, when Severus Snape is on his deathbed and warmly tells Harry that he has his mother's eyes. This moment should be memorable because it's the very instance in which Snape reveals his innermost vulnerabilities and motivations, but what makes it so iconic in the films is the fact that Harry has blue eyes and his mother had brown, giving them no resemblance whatsoever. (In the books, both of their eyes are green.) And if you love all things Harry Potter, check out the 35 Ways Harry Potter Is Still Crazy Relevant.

5
O Brother, Where Art Thou?: The Exit Sign from the Future

o brother where art thou mistake
Image via YouTube

Though the Cohen brothers' 2000 crime comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? is supposed to take place in 1937, one scene set in a movie theater prominently features a glowing exit sign that is very clearly from the modern era. And for more silly slip-ups, don't miss the 30 Most Shocking Things That Have Ever Happened on Live TV.

6
John Wick: The Implausible Gas Station Scene

john wick mistake
Image via YouTube

The original John Wick film begins at a gas station in New Jersey, where Wick, while refilling his tank, encounters some Russian gangsters who offer to buy his vintage Mustang. However, what doesn't compute about this scene is that pumping your own gas in New Jersey is technically illegal, so Wick couldn't be casually pumping away.

7
Back to the Future: The Guitar from the Future

back to the future mistake
Image via YouTube

At the end of Back to the Future, once Marty McFly has successfully gotten his parents together at the prom, the teen takes to the stage to kill it on the guitar. And though the entire premise of the movie is that Marty is from the future, it doesn't seem to add up that somehow the guitar he uses at his parents' 1955 prom—a Gibson ES-345—didn't first hit he market until 1958.

8
Ocean's Eleven: The Shrimp Cocktail

Ocean's Eleven mistake
Image via YouTube

In Ocean's Eleven, there is a scene in which Brad Pitt's character Rusty is standing at the Bellagio eating a shrimp cocktail. However, at one point the angle shifts, and suddenly Rusty is eating shrimp off of a plate.

9
Bernie: The Cell Phone That Shouldn't Exist

Bernie movie mistakes
Image via YouTube

The 2011 Richard Linklater film Bernie tells the story of the 1996 murder of millionaire Marjorie Nugent in Carthage, Texas. And while most of the story line is based on true events, one thing that the film definitely gets wrong is the use of iPhones throughout the film, seeing as the first iteration of the iPhone wasn't released until 2007.

10
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: The Accidental Extras

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest mistake
Image via YouTube

The second basketball scene in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, in which McMurphy gets into a shouting match with Martini because he threw the ball against the fence, is memorable not just for its comedic moments, but also because at one point, you can easily see the crew and several spotlights in the shot directly behind the chainlink fence. And for more movie tidbits, check out the 15 Times Actors Turned Down Hugely Iconic Roles.

11
The Dark Knight Rises: The Newspaper Typo

the dark knight rises movie mistake
Image via YouTube

At the beginning of The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce Wayne/Batman is seen reading a newspaper article about a "cat" burglar wreaking havoc on the city. The only problem? The Gotham Times apparently doesn't know how to spell the word heist.

12
Braveheart: The Disappearing Food Scraps

Braveheart movie mistakes
Image via YouTube

In the final moments of BraveheartMel Gibson's William Wallace is pelted with food as he is led to his execution, and many of the scraps stick to his hair and face. However, when he is at the podium about to be hanged just minutes later, Wallace is suddenly completely clean, with not a scrap of food on him.

13
Inglourious Basterds: The Badge That Comes and Goes

inglourious basterds movie
Images via Inglourious Basterds Wiki

In the film Inglourious Basterds, German Sergeant Werner Rachtman is seen in some shots with a badge over his left pocket and in others without it.

14
Spotlight: The Notebook

Spotlight movie errors
Image via YouTube

Based on true events, Oscar-nominated film Spotlight tells the story of a team of Boston Globe journalists who investigated disturbing molestation allegations made against a priest. In one scene in the film, Rachel McAdams' character Sacha sits at a coffeeshop with one of the priest's victims to get his story for the investigation, jotting down notes as they talk.

However, what doesn't seem to add up is that even though Rachel/Sacha continues to take notes throughout the scene, she somehow manages to lose notes as the scene progresses with no continuity regarding the notebook whatsoever.

15
The Goonies: The Octopus

the goonies is a movie you should see

At the end of 1985's The Goonies, one of the boys tells a reporter that the scariest part of his wild adventure is "the octopus." The only issue with this answer is that the octopus scene was deleted from the original film, so viewers likely had no idea what he was talking about.

16
American Sniper: The Fake Baby

American Sniper baby movie mistakes
Image via YouTube

Some movie mistakes are subtle, but others—like this blatant blunder in American Sniper—are so ridiculous that you can't help but see them. Basically, Bradley Cooper's character in the movie is supposed to be cradling a live baby—but since the "live" baby is a doll, he uses his thumb to move its arm and give it life. Critics and moviegoers alike quickly picked up on this ridiculous error, and Cooper even later laughed about it on Ellen, saying that he "couldn't believe that we were working with a plastic baby." Neither could anyone else, Bradley.

17
Grease: The Light Switch

grease movie mistakes

Even though it first came out in 1978, Grease remains one of the most well-known musicals ever. But even devout fans of the original film might not realize that in one of the scenes in the milkshake shop, a waitress tries to switch off the lights with her elbow and misses completely… and yet, the lights miraculously turn off anyway. And if you remember seeing Grease in theaters as a teen, then check out these 20 Photos Only Kids Who Grew up in the 1970s Will Understand.

18
Dallas Buyers Club: The Lamborghini Poster

Dallas Buyers Club movie mistakes
Image via YouTube

The movie Dallas Buyers Club takes place in the 1980s, but behind his desk, main character Ron Woodroof (played by Matthew McConaughey) has a poster hanging of a Lamborghini Aventador—a car that wasn't made until 2011.

19
Clueless: The Magic Sideview Mirror

Clueless movie mistakes
Images via YouTube

In Clueless, Cher Horowitz infamously becomes known as "just a virgin who can't drive" after hitting parked cars and destroying her sideview mirror during her driver's test. However, as she brings her Jeep to a stop to conclude her failed test, you can see that her formerly missing mirror has somehow reappeared and is in pristine condition.

20
Pretty Woman: The Shape-Shifting Breakfast

pretty woman movie mistakes
Images via YouTube

When she is presented with a beautiful spread of breakfast foods, Vivian Ward (played by Julia Roberts) opts for a croissant while Edward Lewis (played by Richard Gere) reads the paper. Bust just a few shots later, the breakfast in Ward's hand has magically changed, transforming from a buttery croissant into a partially-eaten pancake.

21
Titanic: The Lake Slip-Up

Titanic Dinner Party Scene

At one point in the film TitanicLeonardo DiCaprio's character Jack Dawson talks about Lake Wissota, a man-made lake in Wisconsin. The issue here is that the lake wasn't built until 1917—and the film takes place in 1912. And if you love this iconic movie, then check out the 20 Facts Titanic Gets Wrong.

22
Quantum of Solace: The Miming Cleaner

Quantum Solace movie mistakes
Image via YouTube

Look carefully at this still from Quantum of Solace. Behind Daniel Craig, you'll notice that a maintenance worker who is supposed to be sweeping the ground is actually just making sweeping movements in the air like a mime. It's certainly understandable not wanting clouds of dust in the shot, but how director Marc Forster thought no one would notice this is just beyond us.

23
Transformers: Age of Extinction: The Teleporting Man

transformers movie mistakes

Is Michael Bay Harry Potter fan? We only ask because during the most recent installment of the Transformers franchise, a mystery man magically appears behind Mark Walhberg during one of the many destructive battles and subsequently disappears, and the only logical explanation for that is that he must've apparated.

24
Pulp Fiction: The Red Mark

pulp fiction movie errors
Images via YouTube

Though it's lauded as one of the best films of the 20th century, even Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction has its fair share of faults. Take the iconic adrenaline shot scene, for instance: At the beginning of the scene, the characters make a big deal out of marking Mia's chest with a red marker, but the mark is gone by the time she is awoken from her overdose.

25
The Wizard of Oz: The Slippers That Change Colors

wizard of oz mistake
Image via YouTube

Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz is known for several things, most notably her ruby red slippers. However, during the scene in the film when her and Scarecrow fight with the apple trees, there is a brief moment as Scarecrow falls in which her signature slippers become black before returning to red almost instantly.

26
The Usual Suspects: The Plane With Missing Engines

the usual suspects airplane fail
Image via Planet Dolan

Though many films use shots of airplanes taking off and landing to signify a character's arrival or a change of scenery, The Usual Suspects did so in an utterly… unique way. When the plane in the film takes off, it has the four engines of a Boeing 747, but in the next shot the very same plane only has two engines.

27
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Random Cowboy

Pirates of the Caribbean movie mistakes
Image via YouTube

One of the members of the Pirates of the Caribbean crew accidentally made it into the final scene of the first film, forever giving the Black Pearl a bit of Southern charm with his cowboy hat and dark shades.

28
The Hurt Locker: The YouTube Video

the hurt locker movie
Image via YouTube

In one of the scenes in The Hurt Locker, two soldiers are overheard talking about an Iraqi who is going to upload a video to YouTube. But since the movie takes place in 2004, the soldiers should have no idea what YouTube is, given that the video platform didn't even exist until 2005.

29
Bad Boys: The Obvious Cameraman

bad boys movie mistakes
Image via YouTube

Either Bad Boys director Rick Rosenthal thought that a rogue cameraman could pass as an extra in this fight scene, or he just didn't care enough to reshoot the entire thing.

30
Forrest Gump: The Impossible Investment

forrest gump movie mistakes
Image via IMDB

Forrest Gump does a lot of crazy and implausible things throughout his lifetime, but investing in Apple in 1975 is perhaps the craziest. Why? Apple wasn't publicly traded until 1980, and so there's no possible way that he—or anyone—could've bought stock in the company. And for more absurdities you have to see to believe, check out the 20 Craziest Celeb Twitter Meltdowns.

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