Continuity mistake: After being buried alive, Wake returns to attack Howard with a pick. There isn't a speck of dirt on him.
Continuity mistake: Higinio emerges from his hideout to strangle with the measuring tape the man who is raping his wife. During the scene, the tape is above or below the shirt's collar and with a dangling loose end coming and going. (01:02:20)
Other mistake: The Burglar (while tied to a chair and talking about "My Darling Clementine") says, "Apex of Ford's art, you feel me?" Vikar (James Franco) responds, "I feel you." The movie starts in 1969, but rapper E-40 (Earl Tyrone Stevens, Sr.) - "slang master" - supposedly created the expression "you feel me" in the early 1990s. (00:19:53)
Factual error: Three details were omitted on the Miller's car's license plate: the month was missing in the upper left-hand corner; a "15" (2015) sticker was missing in the center of the plate; and, "Show Me State" was not written at the top below "Missouri." (00:16:46)
Continuity mistake: The front view of Sheriff Garrett [Ethan Hawke] while he is talking to Billy shows a stone-walled well between him and the cabin door, but there's no well visible in the rear view. When Billy walks out with his hands up, there appears to be a well to his right (where the horse rail should be visible), but there is no well when Sara and Rio exit the cabin. (00:14:04 - 00:15:10)
Continuity mistake: At the restaurant, the amount of water in JJ's glass goes up and down a few times (although he is not seen drinking any and no waitress or waiter refilled his glass). (01:02:33 - 01:04:00)
Other mistake: Nicole was standing up holding a round cake with both hands and was able to tilt the cake down about 45° to show others the top without the cake sliding off the plate - or any icing shifting.
Continuity mistake: The bartender pours two beers that have no foam on the top. When the beers are set on the table they have about one inch of foam. When the camera angle changes there is no foam. (01:18:45)
Continuity mistake: For a second time in the movie, someone buzzes June on the intercom. She tries to overcome her fears and get out of the apartment, but can't. She shuts the door, leans with the left hand on the doorframe by the chain, and lowers her arm. In the next shot, Naomi Watts is breathing deeply still with her hand by the chain. (00:06:05)
Other mistake: At times when everything was covered in ashes, Jeeps being driven over ashes had clean tires (black tread). One Jeep that was airborne for a couple seconds (coming out of a fire) had clean tires, but the tires later got dirty. (01:04:27 - 01:09:46)
Continuity mistake: Phil put 7 bottles of "Ouzo" in his basket (and left two on the display). When he was driving away, there were 11 bottles of "Ouzo" in the box on his seat. Also, when Phil was drinking on the bridge, the "Ouzo" was dark-colored (but "Ouzo" is clear or cloudy white). (00:15:32 - 00:24:14)
Other mistake: The flight attendant pulled out a wheeled serving cart as she was talking to the other flight attendant. While shown from the chest up, it was obvious the flight attendant was moving her arms for a little while and it sounded like she was placing a few glasses on the cart then stopped, but the top of the cart was filled with glasses when the cart came back into view. Also, it was not apparent from where the flight attendant had reached to get the glasses. (00:11:25 - 00:12:12)
Revealing mistake: The two sets of steps visible from the front of Richard's house (to the right of the garage) are awkwardly placed and unrealistic. Several steps are perpendicular to Richard's parked Jeep then disappear behind the trees. The second steps are parallel to the Jeep (but perpendicular to the other steps) and appear to start "in the air" near the top of the garage, are at an odd angle to the deck and would lead to the side wall of the house's exterior above the deck, not the deck or front door. (00:03:35)
Continuity mistake: Zeke is in the kitchen with his daughter. He is checking out Dick's driving license; in the close-up he is holding it with his left hand, but in the following shot, as she asks him "Where'd you find it?" he is holding it in his right hand. (00:10:15)
Continuity mistake: The spacing (almost touching versus several inches apart) and appearance (shape and whether there are shoots) of the two flowers in the vase on Estelle's/Betty's table at the restaurant vary. Sometimes, the flowers on her table look more like the ones that could be seen on the table in front of hers after Brian/Roy entered the restaurant. (00:03:40)
Continuity mistake: Barney, Jim, and Angus enter a hallway that has a few lamps setting atop dresser drawers or tables. There are two lamps closest to the door; Angus stops after the first two lamps. When the camera shifts to a close-up, the hallway wall behind the lamp is no longer straight. Instead, there is an indentation (short wall) behind the lamp and the first lamp is not visible. Also, Angus becomes taller than the lamp in the close-up. (00:40:27)
Continuity mistake: Young Theo Decker is having his first dinner with the Barbours. Seeing that he's not eating much, Nicole Kidman asks him if he would like her to ask the maid Etta to make something else. On Theo's right, Andy is holding the fork with his right hand. As Theo answers "I'm not hungry", Andy's left hand suddenly is on the table too. (00:06:00)
Factual error: In 1915 Tolkien was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant with the Lancashire Fusiliers. He (plus various other officers) is constantly shown in the film wearing bright metal cap badge, collar badges and shoulder titles on his Service Dress tunic and greatcoat. However, in the Lancashire Fusiliers officers did not wear shoulder titles on their SD tunics/greatcoats, and their cap/collar badges would have been in a darkened bronze finish, not bright metal (which was for Other Ranks and NCO's).
Continuity mistake: Ryan is at the mailbox, looking through the envelopes. When Andy drives up, Ryan turns around with the mailbox door open. Andy grabs Ryan and pushes him several feet away from the mailbox. When Andy is driving away, the red flag on the mailbox is up. (01:08:28 - 01:09:22)
Factual error: Russell said he served twenty-one years in prison because his last offense - possession of 30 grams of marijuana with the intent to distribute - counted as his "third strike" under California's "Three Strikes And You're Out" statute. When he was on the internet trying to locate his father (instead finding his obituary from 2001), information on the computer indicated it was now 2012. This would mean Russell was incarcerated since 1991 - and further indicates he was sentenced about three years BEFORE California's "Three Strikes And You're Out" statute was implemented. Also, 30g of marijuana is the limit for "personal use", so he wouldn't have been charged with intent to distribute. (00:16:15)