Anytime I notice a plot hole in a movie, I like to think that it is a question left for the viewers to figure out. It might sound absurd, but hear me out.
Whenever a movie is produced, the script is tossed around among multiple people and read innumerable times by each member of the crew. So, if the viewer can catch it over just a few rewatches, how is it that filmmakers (who’ve lived and breathed the script) can miss out on something obvious or glaring?
In my early days of filmmaking, I used to take pride in pointing out mistakes and plot holes in the script during pre-production, until a little chat that I had with one of my directors. He told me that sometimes plot holes are left as is because nobody can really figure out how to close them. But that doesn’t mean one must throw the story out of the window.
So we take “creative liberties” because sometimes logistics aren’t as important as the story itself.
But if plot holes are your pet peeve, then stop reading right here because, in this article, we have listed some of the most iconic movies with some of the most glaring plot holes that might ruin the film (quite a bit) for you.
1. When Did Michael Meyers Learn to Drive | Halloween (1978)
Michael Myers was sent to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium after he killed his sister when he was just 6 years old. Assuming he was locked up there for the entirety of 15 years, after which he escaped the institution when he was about 21, how could he know how to drive?
The makers even address the fault through the dialogue of the sanatorium administrator there, but they leave it unexplained.
It’s not like the story falls on its face with this plot hole, but it surely tampers with its flow, once you notice it.
2. Who Put Raquel Welch Back | The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Andy is the much-needed revolutionary in the Shawshank State Penitentiary. His escape from the prison is also one of the greatest movie escapes of all time. However, if Andy crawled out of the tunnel he made through the wall, who put Raquel Welch’s poster back in its place?
This mistake could easily be considered a creative liberty to maintain the air of mystery around Andy's disappearance, rather than an absolute plot hole, if you think about it, since it doesn’t hamper his escape or the rest of the story as much.
If the picture were not taped back to its place, the mystery would fall flat, that’s all. The warden would have immediately connected the dots.
3. How Do They Transport the Great Ape | King Kong
Source: Universal Pictures
All the King Kong movies, from the original in 1933 to the most recent remake in 2005, tell the story of the Great Ape being captured and brought to New York from the island where he lived.
Mind you, they only talk about it. Not a single movie shows us how they do it! How did they transport that gigantic beast, whose one single leg is about the size of a full-sized ship?
Because, with no possibility of his coming to New York, the story would stop right at the island.
4. How Is Cypher and Agent Smith’s Secret Meeting Even Possible | The Matrix (1999)
Okay, if you’re a sci-fi fan, you probably love The Matrix, so this one is going to be a little hard to bear.
If entering the Matrix is a two-person job, as in the person wanting to enter the Matrix needs to get their mortal body plugged into the system by another person, who plugged in Cypher when he went for lunch with Agent Smith?
5. Who Heard Charles Foster’s Dying Words | Citizen Kane (1941)
Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane revolves around “Rosebud,” the dying word of Charles Foster Kane. An entire country went bonkers just to find out what it means.
But who heard his last words, considering he was all alone in his room, on his bed, in his last moments?
Welles tries to patch it up later when a butler says that he heard Kane’s last words, but if you go back to the opening, where Kane breathes his last, you’ll assume that there was no one else there in the room with him. However, considering the stylized theatrical opening of Citizen Kane and the fact that we do not see the entire room in the sequence, Welles could’ve taken creative liberty and not explicitly show anyone with Kane in his dying moments.
But if it is indeed a plot hole (which we cannot really confirm), this is what I call a quirky plot hole, fatal to the narrative yet remarkable in how easily we missed it.
6. Fred and George Never Noticed Peter Pettigrew Following Ron | Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)
Credit: Source: Warner Bros.
The Weasley twins were probably the smartest kids of their batch at Hogwarts (obviously well below Hermione). They didn’t take much interest in studies, but the way they used magic to prank others or just have fun is definitely commendable.
Knowing all that, how is it that they never noticed an unknown name constantly appearing next to their youngest brother’s? On the map, it would have looked like this Pettigrew “person” was literally following Ron. How can that not raise suspicions?
This particular plot hole had gained quite a bit of momentum among fans, so J.K. Rowling had to address it. Her explanation does make some sense here, that there are innumerable little dots floating on the map, and so it’s not very unnatural for Fred and George to miss out on Pettigrew; however, it’s still a little difficult to buy this, knowing the Weasley twins.
7. The Sudden Tech Boost | Independence Day (1996)
The writers completely let the computer technicalities slide in this Independence Day sequence.
The Earth is under threat as advanced aliens have launched an attack against humanity. There’s no way we can retaliate against them, as the alien ships are protected by impenetrable security. The solution comes in the form of a computer virus, coded on a ‘90s Macbook that is also compatible with the alien ship's motherboard! Say what?
Wait, it doesn't stop here. David, the coder, learns the alien’s programming language in a single day, writes fully functional code immediately after, and successfully infects the alien ship's motherboard with his virus by breaching its servers with his ‘90s Macbook. Steve Jobs would be so proud of him!
Naturally, this sequence did not sit too well with the audience and raised many questions, after which the writer/producer, Dean Devlin, explained that the alien code was encrypted in binary—the most basic programming language used by mankind. Subsequently, a deleted scene was added in the Independence Day 20th anniversary DVD release to further clarify David’s modus operandi.
Honestly, I love it when I can find minor plot holes in my favorite movies. It humanizes my idols before me and gives me the courage to make mistakes as a filmmaker.
Which is your favorite plot hole from a movie? Let us know in the comments below which one of the above you had already noticed.
