25 Subtle Mistakes In Films You’ll Never Forget Once You Spot Them

Even the most meticulously crafted movies and TV shows are not immune to slip-ups. Whether it’s a glaring continuity error or a subtle anachronism, these mistakes add an unintended layer of entertainment for eagle-eyed viewers. From period dramas with modern props to characters performing impossible feats, here’s a collection of the most memorable on-screen blunders that have us scratching our heads—and laughing along the way.

#1 Crew Member Visible

Image source: Super Grover

Just as Jack says, “On deck, you scabrous dogs,” to the very left edge of the screen over Jack’s shoulder is a grip crew member with a tan cowboy hat, white short sleeve tee shirt and sunglasses, just standing there looking out to sea. (02:12:35)

#2 Starbucks Cup In Front Of Daenerys

Image source: Ssiscool

During the scene in the banquet hall, as Tormund says “most people get bloody murdered, they stay that way”, look at Daenerys in the background – a disposable coffee cup is on the table in front of her. This brown cup with a white plastic lid is nothing remotely like the style of cups they’re all drinking from in the scene. HBO acknowledged the slip up and digitally edited it out on streaming services, reruns and future DVD releases.

#3 Buys Detergent, But Doesn’t Fall Out Of Bag

Image source: zenee

When Kevin goes to the grocery, he buys Tide detergent. While walking home, the two bags break, but no Tide detergent falls out.

#4 Cup Changes From Blue To Clear

Image source: unknown

In the bedroom scene the girl is holding a clear cup full of beer. The camera goes off her and when it comes back she is holding a blue cup. The camera goes back off her then on her and the cup is clear again. [This mistake does not appear in the unrated version – the blue cup scenes were shot specifically to secure an R rating from the MPAA because the contents are obscured.]. (00:13:20)

#5 Fell In Muddy Pig Pen Yet Is Spotless

Image source: Super Grover

In the beginning while Dorothy is still on the farm, she walks along the pig pen fence and then falls in. When Bert Lahr picks her up out of there her dress is perfectly clean. (00:03:45)

#6 Tall Wood Stool Shrinks To Half Its Height

Image source: Super Grover

At the start, when the camera pans through the doorway of Ms. Darbus’s classroom, Zeke sits on a tall stool that is about 3 feet high. Oddly enough, in the following shots, the munchkin stool he now sits on only reaches the height of about 1 foot. (Did they really think we wouldn’t notice?) The wood stool also moves forward a few feet. (00:00:50)

#7 Plane Loses Two Engines From A New Angle

Image source: jle

Right before they rob the police car, a Boeing 747 (four engines) is seen in shots of the plane coming into land. When the plane is shown from behind, it is a Boeing 767, with only two engines and fewer main landing gears. (00:30:10)

#8 Guns Disappear During Bullet Time

Image source: uknown

On the skyscraper, when Neo and Trinity [end] all of the soldiers, Agent Brown comes to the roof. Neo immediately draws his guns and fires until both of his clips are empty. After that, Neo drops his guns, just as Agent Brown aims at him. During Bullet-Time there are no guns on the floor. When he hits the ground, then the guns are left and right of his legs. (01:41:50)

#9 Frodo’s Scar Changes Sides

Image source: Super Grover

In the second half of the film, Frodo has a scar on his lower right cheek, close to his chin. Many times throughout the rest of the film the scar changes position and size on his right cheek. It also appears on his left cheek in flipped shots (most obviously on the slopes of Mount Doom when Sam is cradling his head). (02:31:05 – 02:34:00)

#10 Shirt Changes From Long-Sleeved To Tank Top

Image source: unknown

When Jesse is going to race Johnny Tran at Race Wars for pink slips, and Johnny Tran pulls up in his Honda S2000, Tran has on a black long-sleeved shirt. When the camera goes from side to front view, Tran has on a black tank top. (01:12:41)

#11 50 Star Flag In 1945 – Should Be 48 Stars, Below

Image source: Jon Sandys

After the successful Trinity test in 1945, people in a crowd are holding small US flags with 50 stars on them (offset rows). At the time there were only 48 states and the flag had 48 stars in even rows. The 50 star flag didn’t exist until 1960, after Alaska and Hawaii were made states in 1959.

#12 Plane Number Changes

Image source: unknown

When John and Catherine are in the hangar at the runway, the Cessna’s tail number is N3035C. When the plane is shown in the air, the number is N3973F. When they land, the tail number has changed back to N3035C. (01:22:25 – 01:25:50)

#13 Bridge Section Gone But It Still Casts Shadow

Image source: unknown

If you look at the missing part of the bridge, and look at the shadow underneath, the shadow is of a full bridge. (01:02:35)

#14 Door Opens Before Man Swipes Card

Image source: Ssiscool

When Bond is in the car following the goons heading into the facility, it shows the techie guy scan a card and then swipe it to open a door. Before he swipes it, the door is already opening. (01:13:15)

#15 Wreckage In Background Disappears

Image source: Casual Person

On Utapau, when Obi-Wan faces off with Grievous, Grievous sends 4 MagnaGuards against Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan Force-pulls something from the ceiling to crush the droids. But in the ensuing fight between Obi-Wan and Grievous, the ceiling thing and crushed droids are gone.

#16 Crew Neck T-Shirt Changes To Henley T-Shirt

Image source: Super Grover

There are two scenes during which Harry is shown having visions of the Dept of Mysteries while he is asleep. The first scene occurs after Harry’s confrontation with Seamus in the Gryffindor common room. There are shots of Harry lying in bed wearing a short sleeve, crew neck tee shirt, but when he is startled awake by the vision of Voldemort, he sits up wearing a buttoned henley tee. The next day is the first day of Defence Against the Dark Arts class with Umbridge. That last shot of Harry in the henley tee shirt was cut from a later scene. Later in the film, when Harry has the vision of Arthur Weasley’s attack, he is wearing the henley tee shirt. (00:34:00 – 01:09:35)

#17 Stunt Cable Visible

Image source: Super Grover

During their fight at Orthanc, in the wide overhead shot, as Saruman flies backwards towards the large doors, the wire attached to the back of Christopher Lee’s outfit is visibly pulling his clothes. (00:50:45)

#18 Jessica’s Brown Boots Morph Into Pumps

Image source: Super Grover

When Jessica walks from the house to the barn at the end, she is wearing knee high brown boots. By the time she reaches the barn they have been replaced with court shoes.

#19 Gas Canister In Back Of Chariot

Image source: unknown

In the “Battle of Carthage” in the Colosseum, one of the chariots is turned over. Once the dust settles you can see a gas cylinder in the back of the chariot. (01:22:55)

#20 Ship Design Changes While At Sea

Image source: johnrosa

The design of the ship’s bow changes significantly while at sea. The white form on top of the bow used for mooring first does, then doesn’t have an indentation on top, possibly with a bolt in the center. The point where the curved railing meets the straight side railings either is or is not connected by a top horizontal bar, and the gap between the vertical posts changes size. Another mistake on this site mentions the anchor design change, but also the metal walkway is made of tubular metal bars -or- flat bars that are more numerous and closer together. (00:30:15 – 01:21:00)

#21 Visible Modern-Day Plastic Water Bottle

Image source: Super Grover

At the end of the song “Wait,” when Sweeney and Lovett hear Anthony running up the stairs, Sweeney runs behind the door to his shop. For a quarter second, as Sweeney places his back against the wall, there is a modern-day water bottle on the window ledge. This, however, cannot be seen on the DVD or Xbox, though on laptops and probably computers also, when streaming you can see it around 00:43:10. (00:43:10)

#22 Eyeline Suddenly Changes

Image source: unknown

In the beginning when Brendan Fraser is looking around the tunnels he turns around to see his kid and they scream. As they are screaming they are at eye level but when a few seconds later when they are standing the kid is like 2 feet shorter then Brendan Fraser, and if you look around there is nothing for the kid to have stood on. (00:05:55)

#23 Windscreen Repairs Itself

Image source: unknown

The T-1000 punches his body through the window of a helicopter to get inside. An instant later, the hole in the windshield is gone. (01:56:35)

#24 Louboutin Signature Red, Then Tan Soles

Image source: Super Grover

When Pierce’s wife is walking in her auto shop they pan down to show her red Louboutin heels, then they cut to her walking in her office, and when they show her shoes again they have a tan sole.

#25 Camera And Reflector Screen Mounted On Boat Bow

Image source: Super Grover

When the fishermen start out on the hunt, Ben Gardner appears in a close-up leaning on the windshield at forward deck, while talking to his boatmate about how stupid some of the others are. In the next wide shot of the boats, Ben’s green boat is towards the left of the screen, and the large reflector screen and camera, that are mounted to the bow of his boat, are visible in front of the forward window where Ben was seen in the previous shot. (00:30:25)