Best crime movie mistakes of all time

Please vote as you browse around to help the best rise to the top.

Heartbreakers picture

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Page (Jennifer Love Hewitt) follows Jack onto the beach, and she falls over into the mud while clambering through the bushes, Jack finds her on the floor in the mud and helps her up. When she stands in front of him, she's clean, with no mud in sight.

More Heartbreakers mistakes
Evil Under the Sun picture

Plot hole: Patrick Redfern needs someone to be in the boat with him to corroborate his and his wife's deception and be his alibi. That is whole point of his wife lying on beach - he gets this when taking Myra for a ride - but it was portrayed as a random ride she got, he did not intend or plan giving her a ride, he did not see her loitering near the boat, or even in view of him untying the boat. Even if that was intention in the story for him to be seen ready to cast off, the movie viewers did not see her viewing him, only her appearing just before he was set to cast off. Without someone with him the whole deception would not work, he would have no alibi, he could have killed Arlena unseen.

More Evil Under the Sun mistakes
Presumed Innocent picture

Plot hole: They found seminal fluid left in Caroline Polhemus. Why didn't they subject it to DNA testing, which would have been a powerful indicator of Sabich's guilt? Fertility (or otherwise) has nothing to do with it - as well as non-motile sperm (which contain DNA anyway) the seminal fluid would contain discarded skin and blood calls in abundance. DNA testing was first used in a criminal case in 1985 and was in fairly common use by 1988.

More Presumed Innocent mistakes
Nightcrawler picture

Visible crew/equipment: As Jake approaches the house after the van drives off, it looks like a crew member got caught at the side of the house and moves back as Jake is taking camera footage. (01:03:25)

More Nightcrawler mistakes
Brick Mansions picture

Factual error: The "brick mansions" are in Detroit, but when the surveillance satellite footage is shown, the initial, close-up skyline shown from above is of San Francisco. Then as it zooms out it's looking at Chicago. (01:04:00)

More Brick Mansions mistakes
The Naked Gun picture

Factual error: When Frank knocks out the Umpire and begins to change into his clothes, the umpire is wearing white underwear. All umpires wear black in case the seat of their pants rip so the game can continue.

More The Naked Gun mistakes
Wild Things picture

Plot hole: Suzie pulls out some of her teeth with a pair of heavy pliers. This would leave conspicuous tool marks on the teeth that would be visible to the naked eye, let alone under forensic examination. The conclusion would be that Suzie is missing, not dead, and the whole plot would unravel from there.

More Wild Things mistakes
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre picture

Factual error: This movie states that it is during the year 1973, yet in the beginning of the movie when they are driving in the van they are listening to "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. This song was not released publicly until 1974. (00:03:10)

juiicyyxo

More The Texas Chainsaw Massacre mistakes
Darkman picture

Other mistake: At the carnival, you can see an African-American man staring at the camera for a while. I am unsure if he is a crew-member watching over the scene, or if he is just an extra trying to get onscreen.

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: He isn't staring at the camera. He's glancing over at Peyton and Julie as they are joyously dancing upon exiting the ferris wheel.

Phaneron

More Darkman mistakes
American History X picture American History X mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Danny gets shot at the end of the film, his paper flies out of his hand. But the very next shot of him shows that the paper is still in his hand being held over his head while he falls backwards. In one of the following shots the paper is back on the floor, but it's on the opposite side it should have been when it flew out of his hand. It's all shown in slow motion and it's very obvious.

More American History X mistakes
Den of Thieves picture

Other mistake: Why did Merrimen have to show Donnie how to use a M4? Earlier in the movie it was stated that Donnie was in the Marines for a short time.

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Only Big Nick and the other cops knew Donnie had served. They had his records pulled up. Donnie never told the other crew so he could look inexperienced enough to not run the whole show. It made it easier to double cross both sides later. Donnie played the fool to get the upper hand.

50 cent told Merrimen "he was a marine for a minute" also Donnie has an Eagle, Globe and Anchor tattoo (Marine Corps).

More Den of Thieves mistakes
John Wick: Chapter 2 picture John Wick: Chapter 2 mistake picture

Continuity mistake: In the opening scenes where he gets his mustang back, he hits the guy who comes over the roof and busts the windshield, but in the very next shot the windshield is pristine. (00:07:45)

More John Wick: Chapter 2 mistakes
Double Jeopardy picture

Factual error: Ashley Judd is convicted of murdering her husband for the insurance money and that would make it a first degree murder charge (first degree meaning she planned the murder). Because of that there is no way she would have been eligible for parole after just 6 or 7 years.

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: It's never stated that she was charged with 1st degree murder, nor that she killed her husband for the insurance money. It was only brought up in trial as motive. Nick's accident was ruled "wrongful death" and the fact she did get paroled further show she was never convicted of 1st degree murder.

And what about the phone call from prison the Libby makes to Angie, and Angie says she "was just about to call her" or she tried calling her like how the heck can you call someone in prison!?

More Double Jeopardy mistakes
The Green Hornet picture The Green Hornet mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Reid and Kato are fighting by the pool, the beach ball falls off the chair (beside the pool) when they land in the water, but is back up on the chair in a following shot. (01:12:25)

Super Grover

More The Green Hornet mistakes
More Romeo + Juliet mistakes
Seven picture Seven mistake picture

Other mistake: When Somerset goes back to the man's house alone, he cuts a sticker on the door with his switch-blade to get in. The first error is the sticker is on the inside and it says "Keep Out." The best part about it is the door opens inward. How did they put the sticker on the inside and then exit? (00:20:45)

More Seven mistakes
Along Came a Spider picture

Revealing mistake: After the woman is strangled and the people come in trying to find the little kid, the dead woman is clearly seen blinking. (00:11:25)

More Along Came a Spider mistakes
A Fish Called Wanda picture

Plot hole: Shortly after the robbery, Kevin Kline and Jamie Lee Curtis get together in a little flat and Kline calls the police from a landline to tell them who committed the robbery. In England this would immediately lead the police to the flat from which the call was made, and the person reporting the robbery would be the first person the police would want to find and speak to. Otto has handed it to them on a plate. (00:12:29)

More A Fish Called Wanda mistakes
In the Bedroom picture

Continuity mistake: In the kitchen scene, when Frank's parents are arguing, the clock reads about 6:45 and then in the next shot, it is 6:15.

More In the Bedroom mistakes
Ocean's Eleven picture Ocean's Eleven mistake picture

Continuity mistake: Linus and Rusty are standing in the Botanical Garden at the Bellagio going over Linus' observations. Rusty has a cocktail glass of shrimp in hand. When they change angles he has a plate in his hand, then change back, it's a glass. Full screen version. (00:43:40)

More Ocean's Eleven mistakes

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.