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People In This Online Group Pointed Out 35 Things Shown In Movies That Are Weird In Real Life
Movies and TV shows provide a perfect setting for escapism with their twisting plots, colorful characters, and captivating stories (also the abundance of on-screen hotties). But not all the situations are relatable, as well as certain depictions of daily things that are not quite close to reality. Whether it’s the continuity department not paying too much attention to certain details, or it happening by sheer accident and focus getting directed to more important plot points—spectators will point out numerous unrealistic details. But we all know it’s a quest to find a parking place right in front of your house, how practically impossible it is guessing other people's passwords correctly in less than 3 goes, or that there’s no point in believing in the existence of fresh-out-of-college young and aspiring artists immediately landing a huge flat in a prime area of LA.
r/AskReddit—a place for asking and answering various questions—recently inquired about "What happens in movies or TV that seems to be normal and you think to yourself ’that is not what people in real life do?’" And below are the pretty spot-on answers that will make you look twice at some scenes of the movie or TV show you’re currently watching.
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(Hands someone a burner phone.)
"Keep this on you day and night. It rings, you betta answer."
"Okay. Do you have the charger?"
"The what?"
"This phone, did it come with a charger? It's not USB. It has one of those cylindrical ports, like on an old Nokia."
"Look pal..."
"Hey, you're the one giving out phones. It's charged now. How did you charge it?"
Women can be in the jungle for weeks, and they don't have hair growing anywhere. Men immediately begin to grow a beard.
Young singles living in million dollar condos that overlook the city.
When women run around in heels with perfect hair and makeup, and the dirt and sweat makes their hair and makeup look even better.
Looking at you, Jurassic World.
Everyone has 1 paper bag for groceries. And it has a celery stalk and loaf of french bread sticking out the top.
I think the celery is actually permanently stuck to the bag :D
Answers phone:
"Hello? (listens to the caller for one second)... what do you mean Tim got kidnapped by a drug cartel while he was shopping with his family in his trip to South America?"
Preparing a huge five-star breakfast (pancakes, waffles, fruit, biscuits, oatmeal, omelette, etc.) that no one eats; I don't even understand why that's a thing in movies and TV shows.
No one using a computer ever uses a mouse. It’s just constant, frantic typing.
Whenever a simple miscommunication happens, no ever stops and clarifies with the other person. Like if one 10 sec conversation can derail an entire plot thread im not interested.
Having highly confidential conversations about 4 foot away from the people they are talking about, and not being overheard.
In horror movies, everyone runs upstairs. If there was something chasing you wouldn’t head for the door to get outside? Also you’re creeped out in the house but you never turn on the light?
One thing that drives me berserk in movies is when someone is driving and talking to their passenger. They refuse to keep their eyes on the road and insist on making prolonged eye contact with the person next to them. In the movies this often means a jump-scare car crash is about to happen.
I'd like to say that's unrealistic but my mom used to drive that way all the time. I hated going anywhere with her.
Also the people driving move the steering wheel the entire time. In real life they would swerve all over the road. Apparently no one movies should be allowed a driver's license.
And when they're making an actual turn, they don't signal!
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So drives me crazy and what's worse is the passenger usually stays facing the road!
Well, SOMEone has to watch where they're going.
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"He did the stare-and-drive on you, didn't he? He got that from ME."
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Or never wearing a seat belt. Or kids in bikes that never wear a helmet.
I actually know a guy who does this in real life and he's only had one near-death accident so far.
When I was a kid, my dad's best friend used to talk to the people in the backseat while.turning his head as far as possible so he could look at them while speaking. Yes, he had many car accidents although surprisingly none of them resulted in severe injury. Eventually dad refused to get in the car with him.
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This makes me so uncomfortable I can't concentrate on the dialogue - I'm usually just yelling at the tv 'Watch the frikkin road, you imbecile!!' :)
Bringing Up Baby, SPOILER! Kate Hepburn hits a truck full of birds. Hilarity ensues.
Not only in movies... brother of a friend of mine almost got us in a car crash cause he looked permanently at his friend at the passenger seat while conversating with him. Just a shout from us in the backseat got his eyes on the road back in time so we didn't crash into a truck. Never drove with him again. @_@
My dad would sometimes turn around and talk to a person in the back seat while driving!
Drive me nuts too! They're typically being towed and never tough the steering wheel either.
I'd say this usually doesn't mean a thing. I find it terribly annoying because it does NOT result in car crashes nearly as often as it ought to, considering.
That bugs me so much, too. You know there will be people who will start doing the same, even if it’s unintentionally.
Girl vomiting = pregnant
Someone hiccoughs = drunk
Someone coughing = seriously ill
Find a parking spot right in front of their building.
School buses honking and waiting for kids that are still in the house. If I wasn’t at the bus stop when the bus arrived, it would drive on by. It didn’t stop. It didn’t honk. It didn’t wait.
Always talking all clever and witty, without uhhh stuttering, or ummm.... pausing to think about what you're going to say, or never forgetting what you were about to say, what else was I going to say? I forgot.
There are only two movies with realistic dialogue: Napoleon Dynamite and the Big Lebowski
Being a young, aspiring artist/writer/actor living alone in a nice, spacious apartment in a prime area of a big city like New York or LA.
Go to bed wearing full make-up
That happens, you just never wake up with it still pristine like in the movies...
Getting hit over the head and knocked out........then just waking up later on and acting like they just have a small hangover.
Be a struggling writer while living in a multi-million dollar mansion. That one always puzzles me.
Or, a family moves into an expensive house, but neither parent has a job lined up yet. Yeah, how'd that loan approval process go, you frauds? You can't tell me they could all pay cash...
Come over to a friend's place, stay there for all of 30 seconds to talk about something plot-relevant, and then just leave right away.
On the phone making plans: “ok, meet me at 5?” “sure.” And that’s the whole plan. Where are you meeting? Planning to meet someone in a public place never goes this smoothly
When they knock on the door or ring the doorbell and someone opens it within 2 seconds
Please explain to the Amazon delivery driver who then starts banging the door two seconds after ringing the door bell
End a call and hang up the phone without saying goodbye.
In the words of Stephanie Tanner (or Gibler, did she take Jimmy's last name?): HOW RUDE!
Dreaming of kissing a beautiful woman, but actually you're just being licked by a f****** animal
The amount of ultimatums in "romantic" movies is appalling. No real relationship can last if you're at the point of an ultimatum, you're just putting a dysfunctional relationship on life support for another week or two.
People don't stop doing stupid s***, they just learn to hide it from you better.
Taking turns talking. Like in cop shows when one cop begins an explanation, then the next one picks up the story at a seamlessly convenient spot, then the third adds, “but...” and throws in some more.
No one in real life has ever talked like that.
Wake up at 6am no matter what time of year and it is bright and sunny.
Every time anyone sneezes people assume they're sick, like don't they ever get random sneezes
people do that in real life now...everything is corona apparently...even allergies...ffs
putting baby in a playpen when your friend visits and said baby doesn’t scream.
In the show Workin' Moms, there's an office meeting where people sit down, do the jokes and plot points, and then adjourn the meeting.
At no point do they talk about anything related to work. What was the meeting for?
When they are playing video games and just turn off the tv. Lol
Soldiers running towards the enemy instead of hanging back and setting up suppressing fire
soldier runs and a bom goes off behind them and they keep running. like WTF that would kill you. even if the blast didnt, the shrapnel would tear through you.
No one loses his hearing when a gun is fired near him...
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People leaving the house starting a conversation, then drive 30minutes (the part we don't see), then gets out at destination and continues conversation where they left off....did they just sit in the car in silence? :)
Yes, this! I don't expect perfect realism from TV and movies, but this is so stupid!
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Action hero runs the entire movie. Doesn't heave and pant like a dog when the action dies down. Even when we learnt in the beginning that he is just an average everyday man.
He also has a sore arm after being shot in the should, but within minute he us using that arm to support his weight as he somehow does vertical parkour up a building. Just your everyday dude XD
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People meeting in restaurants, ordering food, chats for 5 seconds then leave. Never eat ordered food, nevermind the driving across the city to restaurant and searching 30minutes for parking to have a 5 second conversation that could have been a phone call.
YES! I get they don't want to show them eating cause that takes up so much time...but then let them meet in a bookstore or something where ordering isn't required!
Load More Replies... Another thing: I’m sure I’m not the only European who starts hyperventilating when the fridge doors stay open for longer than five seconds. Whyyyyyyy?
And getting up and walking out of the hospital easily after being in bed for weeks. In reality your muscles have weakened and it takes a while to get your balance back.
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Unnecessary sex scenes. Two people who have zero excuse to hook up—-it could be physically dangerous, or waste valuable time, or ruin their career(s), or just simply be a matter of zero chemistry between them so sex would be a really stupid move. Even if you two were meant to be together, get the bad situation you’re in taken care of first, then go home, get cleaned up, and get some well deserved rest—-or let the ambulance take you to the hospital and get well.THEN, if you’re both still attracted to each other, go on a proper first date and see how it goes when you’re not in immediate danger. Use some common sense. Jeez!
I kind of get this one in a few situations, like if you really think you're about to die and there's no way out you may as well have 3 minutes of enjoyment before you croak.
Load More Replies... Those movies are the most embarrassing where people just do not say what they want, or what is going on. Most of the movies if one character would talk to another key character instead of "er, i cannot say that" or so, the whole situation will be solved :D Those movies are much better where there are real problems. Another thing that no one smells in the movies. The spy lurks to a party by doing acrobatic jumps to get into the castle and no, he has a perfect outfit.
A couple have a full on lovemaking session, cut to shot straight after and the woman is almost fully dressed stiull in bed.
And they always lay on their backs next too each other and stare at the ceiling.
Load More Replies... Having a conversation where one person stands still, and the other walks round the back of them and comes up on the other side. First person acts like it's totally normal.
this is kind of related: for once i'd like to see a movie or show (preferably movie) that is unpredictable. in all the movies i've watched, i predicted what would happen. like a superhero movie: the good guys win between some epic fight scene, etc. easy and i already know that. and sometimes in horror or mystery movies, the plot twists are just cringy. lets say three main characters witness a murder. they are all best friends. suddenly one of them blames the other friend claiming they're the killer, and they are. whats up with that? so basically i want to see uncertainty, and acting that feels real.
for me it was never the what, but the how. I agree with you in action movies where I can't even tell what's happening, but other than that. If the main character is sentenced to death or something , you know they aren't actually going to die because plot (unless it's series of unfortunate events), but the question is "how do they get out of this?"
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Not an art historian, but I have a suspicion that many of these originated in, ir were derived from the theatrical artistic conventions. The degree of suspension of disbelief is much greater in a play, so when it is transferred to the screen, it looks annoying.
I like the commercial for insurance that is a satire on horror movies with a group of young people in danger trying to figure out what to do and someone says "Why don't we just get into the running car?" No! Let's go hide behind the chainsaws. May be a satire, but it seems like all the horror movies from the mid 60's are like that.
Going in a coffee place and order a coffee! Just one coffee! No type of coffee, hot, cold or how much sugar... who orders like that and what's the problem if they say one cappuccino?? Does the waiter brings whatever he wants???
And they always take a gulp right away when in normal life it would be too hot to do that and guys never use the handle even though holding on to the actual mug would burn anybody fingers.
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Researching local history on the internet (looking at you, Penelope Garcia). "We've got eight people whose parents died in car related accidents between May 1966 and June 1968. Four of them have siblings in the relevant age, only two with a greatparent still alive. I'll send you the addresses." I don't know about the US but in Germany you'd have a really hard time finding "relevant" car crashes even if they were only ten years ago. Don't tell me the local newapapers in the US have their complete archives on the web.
I love CM, but yes, it has its "uuggg" quirks. Saw an episode the other night where a guy gets shot in the leg, at close range, with a shot gun and only has small damage. Real life, the leg would be mostly gone.
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A comatose person suddenly wakes up after a long time with no physical or mental problems.
Everyone is always fully dressed and shoes on and ready to leave their home at a moment's notice
When a car collides with a brick wall or something super hard at 50+ mph and get like a scratch. Unless its a toyota hilux then the brick wall gets damaged instead (car guys will get it.)
Always saying the perfect response in every situation, never stumped for what to say.
All ugly people are evil... All good looking people are good... And villains do not succeed. Those things are only true in movies.
Powerful guns have no kick whatsoever and you can point them any way you want and not bother with aim. Good guys' guns are much more lethal than bad guys' guns. Also, no one suffers from adrenaline in a gun fight, and adrenaline can do some strange stuff to your mind and body. Soldiers and police never break a sweat, even when they're under fire, and are always utterly cool and rational. Making armed conflict seem glamorous instead of dangerous isn't just unrealistic--it's a tragedy.
Conversations that involve someone turning away from their listener because the content of convo is highly emotional. Who does that? I might avoid eye contact and look at my hands etc, but turn my back? Heck, if this happened in real life people with even normal hearing would have to ask for clarification all the time.
The hero having a fight with several people at the same time. Each of the bad guys take turns to get their ass kicked by the hero, like why don't you just attack him together?
When the hero does more gymnastics than Mary Lou Retton and never misses a shot with his AK-47.
One of the best movies I have seen for showing life as it is was Elephant, shows basic everyday boring life in a school which make the final scenes so upsetting. Highly recommend.
There is always a genius nerd guy with glasses in your group to hack everything in 30 seconds. In case of alien invasion, there is always a tough guy who already bought and stored guns for entire group.
Always have whisky in any Office or home in à fancy bottle and always drinking whisky
1. The bad guys are always super bad shooters. The main guy runs around and nobody manages to shoot him. But every time he shoots at least one guy dies. 2. In American movies about aliens or huge monsters (Godzilla for example) there is always the army using the usual weapons ( guns, rifles...I have no knowledge of weapons, so sorry if they are not called like that) and believing that would somehow kill or destroy the enemy. At such moments I always start with mocking “pew-pew” sounds, I just cannot help it.
I’m too many movies an explosion will go off and the character will do that badass walk without looking back at the explosion they aren’t even phased they don’t get blasted off their feet by the force of the explosion they don’t seem to lose their hearing and no shrapnel comes near them? It’s so overused I’m looking at you marvel
One that drives me nuts. Cop / Hero goes to investigate a building with gun and flashlight. Turn on the damn lights! Why walk around a dark building, searching for a serial killer, just using a flashlight?
Nobody ever waits for their change after they buy something...
Wow so many missing. 1. Pregnancy and childbirth in general is so unrealistically portrayed 2. 27 and 28 year olds in very senior positions 3. No one addicted to their phone 4. Apologies/excuses are just accepted. No one remains angry or speculative 5. Money is never an issue even for people who don't have it 6. Unrealistic sibling/parent/adult children relationships. They half act like friends or even couples some times.
My husband can I both get so annoyed when someone walks into a bar and is like "ill take a beer" OK like import domestic pale ale what you want.
soldier runs and a bom goes off behind them and they keep running. like WTF that would kill you. even if the blast didnt, the shrapnel would tear through you.
No one loses his hearing when a gun is fired near him...
Load More Replies... People leaving the house starting a conversation, then drive 30minutes (the part we don't see), then gets out at destination and continues conversation where they left off....did they just sit in the car in silence? :)
Yes, this! I don't expect perfect realism from TV and movies, but this is so stupid!
Load More Replies... Action hero runs the entire movie. Doesn't heave and pant like a dog when the action dies down. Even when we learnt in the beginning that he is just an average everyday man.
He also has a sore arm after being shot in the should, but within minute he us using that arm to support his weight as he somehow does vertical parkour up a building. Just your everyday dude XD
Load More Replies... People meeting in restaurants, ordering food, chats for 5 seconds then leave. Never eat ordered food, nevermind the driving across the city to restaurant and searching 30minutes for parking to have a 5 second conversation that could have been a phone call.
YES! I get they don't want to show them eating cause that takes up so much time...but then let them meet in a bookstore or something where ordering isn't required!
Load More Replies... Another thing: I’m sure I’m not the only European who starts hyperventilating when the fridge doors stay open for longer than five seconds. Whyyyyyyy?
And getting up and walking out of the hospital easily after being in bed for weeks. In reality your muscles have weakened and it takes a while to get your balance back.
Load More Replies... Unnecessary sex scenes. Two people who have zero excuse to hook up—-it could be physically dangerous, or waste valuable time, or ruin their career(s), or just simply be a matter of zero chemistry between them so sex would be a really stupid move. Even if you two were meant to be together, get the bad situation you’re in taken care of first, then go home, get cleaned up, and get some well deserved rest—-or let the ambulance take you to the hospital and get well.THEN, if you’re both still attracted to each other, go on a proper first date and see how it goes when you’re not in immediate danger. Use some common sense. Jeez!
I kind of get this one in a few situations, like if you really think you're about to die and there's no way out you may as well have 3 minutes of enjoyment before you croak.
Load More Replies... Those movies are the most embarrassing where people just do not say what they want, or what is going on. Most of the movies if one character would talk to another key character instead of "er, i cannot say that" or so, the whole situation will be solved :D Those movies are much better where there are real problems. Another thing that no one smells in the movies. The spy lurks to a party by doing acrobatic jumps to get into the castle and no, he has a perfect outfit.
A couple have a full on lovemaking session, cut to shot straight after and the woman is almost fully dressed stiull in bed.
And they always lay on their backs next too each other and stare at the ceiling.
Load More Replies... Having a conversation where one person stands still, and the other walks round the back of them and comes up on the other side. First person acts like it's totally normal.
this is kind of related: for once i'd like to see a movie or show (preferably movie) that is unpredictable. in all the movies i've watched, i predicted what would happen. like a superhero movie: the good guys win between some epic fight scene, etc. easy and i already know that. and sometimes in horror or mystery movies, the plot twists are just cringy. lets say three main characters witness a murder. they are all best friends. suddenly one of them blames the other friend claiming they're the killer, and they are. whats up with that? so basically i want to see uncertainty, and acting that feels real.
for me it was never the what, but the how. I agree with you in action movies where I can't even tell what's happening, but other than that. If the main character is sentenced to death or something , you know they aren't actually going to die because plot (unless it's series of unfortunate events), but the question is "how do they get out of this?"
Load More Replies... Not an art historian, but I have a suspicion that many of these originated in, ir were derived from the theatrical artistic conventions. The degree of suspension of disbelief is much greater in a play, so when it is transferred to the screen, it looks annoying.
I like the commercial for insurance that is a satire on horror movies with a group of young people in danger trying to figure out what to do and someone says "Why don't we just get into the running car?" No! Let's go hide behind the chainsaws. May be a satire, but it seems like all the horror movies from the mid 60's are like that.
Going in a coffee place and order a coffee! Just one coffee! No type of coffee, hot, cold or how much sugar... who orders like that and what's the problem if they say one cappuccino?? Does the waiter brings whatever he wants???
And they always take a gulp right away when in normal life it would be too hot to do that and guys never use the handle even though holding on to the actual mug would burn anybody fingers.
Load More Replies... Researching local history on the internet (looking at you, Penelope Garcia). "We've got eight people whose parents died in car related accidents between May 1966 and June 1968. Four of them have siblings in the relevant age, only two with a greatparent still alive. I'll send you the addresses." I don't know about the US but in Germany you'd have a really hard time finding "relevant" car crashes even if they were only ten years ago. Don't tell me the local newapapers in the US have their complete archives on the web.
I love CM, but yes, it has its "uuggg" quirks. Saw an episode the other night where a guy gets shot in the leg, at close range, with a shot gun and only has small damage. Real life, the leg would be mostly gone.
Load More Replies... A comatose person suddenly wakes up after a long time with no physical or mental problems.
Everyone is always fully dressed and shoes on and ready to leave their home at a moment's notice
When a car collides with a brick wall or something super hard at 50+ mph and get like a scratch. Unless its a toyota hilux then the brick wall gets damaged instead (car guys will get it.)
Always saying the perfect response in every situation, never stumped for what to say.
All ugly people are evil... All good looking people are good... And villains do not succeed. Those things are only true in movies.
Powerful guns have no kick whatsoever and you can point them any way you want and not bother with aim. Good guys' guns are much more lethal than bad guys' guns. Also, no one suffers from adrenaline in a gun fight, and adrenaline can do some strange stuff to your mind and body. Soldiers and police never break a sweat, even when they're under fire, and are always utterly cool and rational. Making armed conflict seem glamorous instead of dangerous isn't just unrealistic--it's a tragedy.
Conversations that involve someone turning away from their listener because the content of convo is highly emotional. Who does that? I might avoid eye contact and look at my hands etc, but turn my back? Heck, if this happened in real life people with even normal hearing would have to ask for clarification all the time.
The hero having a fight with several people at the same time. Each of the bad guys take turns to get their ass kicked by the hero, like why don't you just attack him together?
When the hero does more gymnastics than Mary Lou Retton and never misses a shot with his AK-47.
One of the best movies I have seen for showing life as it is was Elephant, shows basic everyday boring life in a school which make the final scenes so upsetting. Highly recommend.
There is always a genius nerd guy with glasses in your group to hack everything in 30 seconds. In case of alien invasion, there is always a tough guy who already bought and stored guns for entire group.
Always have whisky in any Office or home in à fancy bottle and always drinking whisky
1. The bad guys are always super bad shooters. The main guy runs around and nobody manages to shoot him. But every time he shoots at least one guy dies. 2. In American movies about aliens or huge monsters (Godzilla for example) there is always the army using the usual weapons ( guns, rifles...I have no knowledge of weapons, so sorry if they are not called like that) and believing that would somehow kill or destroy the enemy. At such moments I always start with mocking “pew-pew” sounds, I just cannot help it.
I’m too many movies an explosion will go off and the character will do that badass walk without looking back at the explosion they aren’t even phased they don’t get blasted off their feet by the force of the explosion they don’t seem to lose their hearing and no shrapnel comes near them? It’s so overused I’m looking at you marvel
One that drives me nuts. Cop / Hero goes to investigate a building with gun and flashlight. Turn on the damn lights! Why walk around a dark building, searching for a serial killer, just using a flashlight?
Nobody ever waits for their change after they buy something...
Wow so many missing. 1. Pregnancy and childbirth in general is so unrealistically portrayed 2. 27 and 28 year olds in very senior positions 3. No one addicted to their phone 4. Apologies/excuses are just accepted. No one remains angry or speculative 5. Money is never an issue even for people who don't have it 6. Unrealistic sibling/parent/adult children relationships. They half act like friends or even couples some times.
My husband can I both get so annoyed when someone walks into a bar and is like "ill take a beer" OK like import domestic pale ale what you want.
