Continuity mistake: After Tressler's bank account cheque lowers $280k, Henley says "We have a confession to make." In this shot, Jack is in the background almost in darkness, then in the next shot, as Jack says "We lied about something", Jack is suddenly covered in stage light. (01:01:35)
Audio problem: When Daniel and the fan burst into his room, making out, almost half of the dialogue doesn't match up with what they are saying. (00:07:25)
Continuity mistake: As the FBI agents re-watch the interrogation tape, there is a time code on the right hand top corner. When Dylan says "That's where he took my phone", the time code on the top right corner reads 13 minutes and 33 seconds. The shot then cuts to Dylan for only a second or two, but in the next shot, the video is still visible in the background, paused at 13 minutes and 39 seconds. (01:13:55)
Continuity mistake: When the Horsemen are filming the 5 Pointz video, Daniel begins to say why they are there and is interrupted by Merritt who then says the exact same thing. When Merritt starts speaking, Daniel can be seen smirking. But from a sudden shot of the POV of the camera, Daniel isn't smirking. Extended version. (01:28:50)
Continuity mistake: After the Horsemen escape, Dylan is drunk in a bar having an annoyed conversation with Alma. From the shots in front of Alma, there are several strands of her hanging over her left ear. From the shots behind Alma, there is only one strand of hair hanging over her left ear. (01:07:30)
Continuity mistake: After Alma states how Lionel Shrike performed his card trick, Dylan replies "The card is in the tree." Alma, visible to the left of screen, has her head perfectly still after he says this. But when she says "It was in the tree for 18 years" in the next shot, her head is suddenly leaning forward a few inches. (00:53:00)
Continuity mistake: When the French banker is called onto the stage, Daniel points out that they wouldn't be there for Arthur Tressler. As he says this, Henley is visible to the left of screen with her hands by her side. Yet from the next shot, her right arm is suddenly raised pointing at Arthur. (00:17:50)
Continuity mistake: When Henley gets the "locks stuck" in the tank, she shouts for help. The timer goes past 49 seconds. A member of the audience runs over to the pipe 15 meters away from the tank, runs back to the tank and hits the pipe twice - the timer then shows 55 seconds. Running to get the pipe and return took longer than 6 seconds. (00:06:25)
Continuity mistake: After Daniel makes the rabbit "disappear" from the rabbit box, Henley begins to look "shocked" and raises her hands halfway. From one angle, her hands are turned 180 degrees, but from a reverse angle, her hands haven't been turned an inch. (00:55:10)
Continuity mistake: When the horsemen's names are announced at the New Orleans show, Daniel points out that they would like to dedicate the performance too. Henley then states that it is Dylan and Alma they are dedicating it too. In the reverse angle where Henley starts saying the line, both of her arms are by her side. But when the shot cuts to a shot of Henley, her left arm is suddenly raised. Extended version. (00:53:50)
Continuity mistake: When Dylan, Fuller and Cowan watch the Horsemen's YouTube video, the time on the bar at the bottom of the video reads the clip had been going for 2 minutes and 50 seconds just as Merritt finishes saying "We cannot quit now." The shot cuts to Dylan, Fuller and Cowan and doesn't cut back to the video for a good 5 seconds. But when the shot cuts back, it can be seen only 1 second has passed. (01:31:05)
Continuity mistake: Just as Alma finishes asking Dylan if he thinks there is a fifth Horseman, her lips are still a centimetre open, but in the next shot, her mouth is suddenly sealed. (00:47:00)
Continuity mistake: Whilst interrogating Daniel, Alma asks him "If you had nothing to do with it then how did the playing card get into the vault?" At the end of this shot, Daniel raises his head upwards. In the next shot, he is suddenly looking forward at the table. (00:28:10)
Continuity mistake: In the scene in which the magicians all meet each other, Jack shows his card to the other three magicians. In this shot, Henley's card is already raised. In the following shot, she goes to raise her card a second time. (00:11:50)
Character mistake: The caption under Shrike's picture in the newspaper that Alma is reading, referring to the circumstances of Shrike's accidental death in a locked safe trick, reads 'Police say famed magician Lionel Shrike vigorously attempting to free himself to no avail.' It should be 'attempted', given he tried and failed, then died, so is unlikely to give it a second go.
Continuity mistake: In the climax, when the 4 horsemen meet the Eye, the order in which they come is (from the left), Death, Hermit, Priestess, Lover. This is the same, as they enter the 'house' as the Eye says "The real magic is taking 4 strong..." But as he continues the line with "solo acts" the camera angle changes, showing Death at the other end, next to Lover, with no time for Death to do so. Also, after Eye says "Welcome to the Eye", Death jumps the gate into the play area, followed by Hermit, as Priestess and Lover goes through the gate. In the next frame, as they all watch Eye, Hermit and Lover are misplaced. This is okay until the Priestess holds her left hand with the right hand of Lover. However, right in the next shot, as Death climbs the 'wheel', Lover is to the right of Priestess, leaving Hermit to Priestess' left hand side, the position same when they entered into the play area. (01:49:45 - 01:50:50)
Continuity mistake: After Henley finishes her trick and the camera pans over to her, just before the camera stops panning, there is a blonde woman with short hair and tree patterns on her dress visible in front of her to the right (or viewer's left). But as it cuts to a wide angle, that same woman is suddenly behind her. (00:07:15)
Continuity mistake: In Merritt's first scene, he walks over to a man and reads his mind. Just as the man says "Look, it was a business trip", he is looking at Merritt. But in the next shot, he's suddenly looking at his wife. (00:02:40)
Continuity mistake: When Dylan turns to Alma to tell her about the safe manufacturer, we can see nothing is on Dylan's half of the bench. Later, a padlock appears on Dylan's half of the bench from nowhere. (01:52:05 - 01:53:30)
Answer: The mirror was inserted at an angle, so that the reflection was the ceiling and not what was in front of them. It's the same principle for how periscopes work.
Bishop73