We all know that movies require a degree of razzle-dazzle, meaning we should watch them with a grain of salt. However, the line between fact and fiction in movies, especially when it comes to health, isn’t always cut and dry. Whether the writers made a shortcut to advance the plot or create some extra drama, a word of warning: don’t always trust what you see in the pictures, including these guilty repeat offenders.

Progress Isn’t as Easy as a Montage

The montage is one of the most popular filmmaking techniques to show that time’s passed and some kind of progress has been made. It’s been around forever, perhaps most memorably depicted in “Rocky” and most ruthlessly skewered in “Team America: World Police.”

Well, as anyone who’s spent some time working out can tell you, progress is never as easy as a montage. What we don’t see in “Rocky” is all the times he fell on his face trying to do a one-armed push-up or tripped over himself while running around the city. No, real-life progress takes time, effort, and a whole lot of mistakes, which is something that montages can never accurately portray.

You Look Great When Working Out

When movies depict fitness, we’ll usually see our characters in the proper attire: a workout top, gym short, sweet kicks, and maybe even a sweat band or music player accessory. But how come, even when they’re in the middle of a workout, they look so good doing it?!

As you probably know very well, you’re not at your best when working out. You’re sweaty, your skin is discolored, your clothes might not fit right — basically, you’re a hot mess. Hollywood has a habit of sprucing up their film characters, but nowhere is this more apparent than in scenes showing fitness.

It’s Not Just a Flesh Wound

Action movies usually require a greater suspension of disbelief than other movies. After all, who wants to see the action star sidelined when he’s been shot in the shoulder? Of course, in real life, this isn’t how things usually play out.

As “Monty Python at the Holy Grail” so famously immortalized, “‘Tis but a flesh wound!” Usually, though, it’s not just a flesh wound. Whether it’s from a bullet or a katana, a wound in any non-critical area of the body can still be fatal due to blood loss. Even then, so-called “flesh wounds” can have effects such as lasting pain and immobility. That doesn’t sound like a fun movie to watch, but thankfully, that’s why movies can get away with things like that.

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