20 Biggest Continuity Errors in Movies

Movie magic is all about making everything feel seamless, but sometimes little mistakes slip through that sharp-eyed viewers love to spot. Continuity errors can show up as props changing shape, costumes shifting places, or scenes referring to moments that never made the final cut. They do not ruin the fun, yet they are great reminders of how many moving parts go into telling a story on screen. Here are some of the most talked-about goofs that fans still point out today.

‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)

The T-rex paddock is shown with the goat standing on flat ground right before the attack. Minutes later the same fence drops off into a deep ravine where the car falls over the edge. The geography of the set clearly changes between shots in the same sequence. This jump in terrain layout became one of the film’s most famous continuity quirks.

‘Pretty Woman’ (1990)

During the hotel breakfast, Vivian holds a croissant while chatting with Edward. After a cut, the pastry has turned into a pancake without explanation. The food keeps switching back and forth as the conversation continues. The quick alternation makes the entire meal look like it was filmed on different days with different plates.

‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)

When Vincent and Jules confront Brett, the apartment wall already shows bullet holes before a shot is fired. After the shooting starts those holes line up with the later gunfire. The marks should not be present in the earlier angles. The wall condition changes between cuts and gives away the staging.

‘The Goonies’ (1985)

At the end, Data tells reporters that the octopus was very scary. The theatrical cut does not include any octopus encounter because that scene was removed. His line references footage audiences never saw. The movie therefore creates a continuity problem by calling back to a deleted sequence.

‘Commando’ (1985)

John Matrix wrecks a yellow Porsche during a chase and leaves it crushed on one side. Moments later he drives the same car away and the bodywork appears repaired. The damage flips from severe to mostly fine between cuts. The condition of the vehicle does not stay consistent across the scene.

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ (2003)

When Jack Sparrow is bound, the rope around his wrists changes from tight loops to a looser wrap and back again. The knot position also shifts between shots. These changes occur within a single exchange of dialogue. The bindings were clearly reset between takes and not matched in the edit.

‘Titanic’ (1997)

In several sinking sequences, Rose’s lifejacket straps jump from neatly crossed to dangling loose between angles. Her hair also flips from wet and plastered to drier and more styled in consecutive cuts. These resets happen during continuous action on the same deck. Wardrobe and hair continuity could not keep pace with the complex water scenes.

‘Braveheart’ (1995)

William Wallace’s blue face paint appears in different patterns within the same battle. In some shots the paint covers more of his cheek, and in the next it recedes. The painted areas shift without any in-story reason. The makeup positions were not matched across the coverage.

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

During the interrogation, the Joker’s smeared makeup and the amount of face grime change noticeably from angle to angle. The smudges on his cheeks move or thicken between lines of dialogue. The continuity resets even though the characters have not moved much. The messy look was hard to reproduce exactly across multiple takes.

‘Back to the Future’ (1985)

While Marty plays at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, his hand begins to fade from existence. In close-ups the hand alternates between normal and transparent as the camera switches viewpoints. The effect timing does not match across the coverage. The scene cuts faster than the visual gag can stay consistent.

‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ (2001)

Throughout the early classroom and Great Hall scenes, the trio’s hair length and the way their scarves sit on their robes change from shot to shot. These differences appear in moments meant to be continuous conversations. The switches come from pickups and reshoots over many months. The result is hair and wardrobe that do not always match within the same scene.

‘The Matrix’ (1999)

After Agent Smith seals Neo’s mouth in the interrogation, the cut leaves a mark that is visible in the next moments. In later angles from the same sequence the injury disappears much sooner than the timeline suggests. The healing jumps ahead between shots. The makeup application does not stay consistent with the immediate aftermath.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ (2002)

During the battle at Helm’s Deep, Aragorn’s sword and coat move between caked-with-mud and mostly clean in consecutive shots. His hair also switches from soaked to less wet while he continues the same charge. The grime level does not progress naturally. The battlefield coverage created many resets that do not line up.

‘The Godfather’ (1972)

As Vito buys fruit just before the shooting, the oranges on the cart change position between angles. The arrangement shifts even though the camera returns to the same setup. Items in the basket also vary in number shot to shot. The prop placement was not matched across takes.

‘Jaws’ (1975)

Chief Brody’s cigarette and beer cup levels change from nearly full to noticeably lower within the same exchange. The props reset as the scene cuts between characters on the Orca. The liquid levels and ash length do not track with the conversation time. The continuity jumps are easy to spot on rewatch.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001)

During Boromir’s final stand, the number and placement of arrows in his chest shift between close-ups and wide shots. The shafts move higher or lower as the scene cross-cuts. The progression does not remain steady through the sequence. The makeup and prop arrows were staged differently across angles.

‘Spider-Man’ (2002)

In the cafeteria scene, Peter catches Mary Jane’s lunch on a tray. The arrangement of milk, fruit, and food changes after each cut while they talk. Items jump places even though the characters hold still. The prop continuity around the tray could not be matched exactly between takes.

‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)

Dorothy’s hair length and the positioning of her ribbons vary within the same conversations along the Yellow Brick Road. In some shots curls rest on her shoulders, then they pull back behind her dress in the next. The look switches without any pause in the scene. The long shoot created many small mismatches in her styling.

‘Casino Royale’ (2006)

During the collapsing building sequence in Venice, Bond’s shirt tears and blood patterns change abruptly between cuts. In one angle the sleeve is ripped wider, then it appears less damaged in the next. The stains also migrate on the fabric mid-action. The wardrobe distressing was not perfectly reset for every pickup shot.

‘The Avengers’ (2012)

In the Battle of New York, Captain America’s suit shows scuffs and burns that shift between shots while he fights on the street. The helmet marks and chest scratches appear heavier, then lighter, with no time jump. Nearby cars and debris also move positions between angles. The fast intercutting exposes several small continuity resets.

Share the biggest movie continuity error you have ever spotted in the comments.