40 Things Movies Just Keep Getting Wrong About Real Life

Aside from the popcorn, there’s one thing that most people head to the movies for, and that’s to escape. It’s true – no one wants to see their daily commute up on the big screen. But the glaring mistakes that just won't quit suggest it’s about time directors paid a little more attention to the real world. So next time you’re settling in to watch that box-office sellout, just count how many of these ridiculous inaccuracies you can tick off.

40. Gun silencers aren’t quiet

In John Wick 2, Keanu Reeves’ eponymous hero and Common’s baddie are able to exchange gunfire in a crowded New York station without anyone noticing. Yes, in this strikingly quiet action scene, the characters’ firearms are fitted with silencers that make them quieter than a mouse. Such weaponry doesn’t actually exist in the real world, though. A gun with a silencer will still make a considerable noise and certainly one that’d be heard by even the loudest commuters.

39. Grenade explosions aren’t that spectacular

Here’s another movie cliché that few cinemagoers will know is based on complete fabrication. When a grenade goes off in real life it doesn’t result in a spectacular fireball like you see in countless action movies. In truth, visually they can be something of an anti-climax.

38. Parking in big cities isn’t easy

Remember the finale of rom-com The Five-Year Engagement when the two lovebirds are able to park right in front of Alamo Square? And on a glorious day, too. If only finding a space in a real-life big city was that straightforward. It usually takes pretty much five years to find somewhere to leave your car in San Francisco.

37. TV reporters can’t get that close to a story

Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers spends most of her time in the first Scream movie getting a little too close to Ghostface for comfort. The nosey newscaster somehow manages to park herself right in the middle of the action whenever another murder has taken place. In real life, though, she’d be escorted away from the scene by police within seconds.